Patent ID: 8268279

Claim:
A process for the production of ammonium sulfate nitrate, comprising: forming a slurry melt comprising ammonium sulfate nitrate and ammonium sulfate in a reactor; passing the slurry melt to a heated stator; continuously agitating the slurry melt in the heated stator to maintain the slurry melt under a shear-thinned condition; recycling a recycle portion of the slurry melt from the heated stator to the reactor; passing a portion of the slurry melt through a channel in the heated stator; and forming droplets by extruding the portion of the slurry melt through a moving grid that slides over the channel, wherein the moving grid comprises grid holes sized to form the droplets; wherein the process includes temperature control to maintain the slurry melt at a temperature from about 178° C. to about 210° C.