|
| Brand Name: | Qifengherun |
| MOQ: | 20 MT |
| Payment Terms: | L/C,T/T |
Ammonium sulfate is one of the most widely used nitrogen fertilizers in the world — and for good reason. It delivers fast-acting nitrogen alongside sulfur, two nutrients that work together to green up lawns, feed acid-loving plants, and improve nutrient availability in high-pH soils. It also happens to be a food-grade additive found in everyday baked goods.
Ammonium sulfate — chemical formula (NH₄)₂SO₄ — is an inorganic salt produced by reacting ammonia with sulfuric acid. The result is a white or off-white crystalline compound that looks remarkably like table salt or coarse sugar. It dissolves readily in water, making it equally useful as a granular broadcast fertilizer or a dissolved liquid for fertigation and foliar spray.
The compound contains two primary nutrients: 21% nitrogen in the ammonium form (NH₄⁺) and 24% sulfur as sulfate (SO₄²⁻). That combination sets it apart from single-nutrient nitrogen sources like urea. You may also encounter it listed under trade names such as Actamaster or Mascagnite, or described chemically as diammonium sulfate or sulfuric acid diammonium salt.
The primary use of ammonium sulfate is as a fertilizer for alkaline soils. In the soil the ammonium ion is released and forms a small amount of acid, lowering the pH balance of the soil, while contributing essential nitrogen for plant growth.
In the treatment of drinking water, ammonium sulfate is used in combination with chlorine to generate monochloramine for disinfection.
Growers apply ammonium sulfate primarily where they need supplemental N and S to meet the nutritional requirement of growing plants. Since ammonium sulfate contains only 21 percent N, other fertilizer sources more concentrated and economical to handle and transport often make a better choice for N-deficient fields. It provides an excellent source of S, which supports or drives numerous essential plant functions, including protein synthesis.
Because the N fraction is present in the ammonium form of ammonium sulfate, rice farmers frequently apply it to flooded soils, since nitrate-based fertilizers are a poor choice due to denitrification losses.
A solution containing dissolved ammonium sulfate is often added to post-emergence herbicide sprays to improve their effectiveness at weed control.
This practice of increasing herbicide efficacy with ammonium sulfate works particularly well when the water supply contains significant concentrations of calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg) or sodium (Na). A high-purity grade of ammonium sulfate often works best for this purpose to avoid plugging spray nozzles.
After addition to soil, the ammonium sulfate rapidly dissolves into its ammonium and sulfate components. If it remains on the soil surface, the ammonium may be susceptible to gaseous loss in alkaline conditions. In these situations, agronomists advise incorporating the material into the soil as soon as possible. Other options include an ammonium sulfate application before irrigation or a predicted rainfall.
Most plants can utilize both ammonium and nitrate forms of N for growth. In warm soils, microbes will rapidly begin to convert ammonium to nitrate in the process of nitrification [2 NH₄⁺ + 3O₂ → 2NO₃⁻ + 2H₂O + 4H⁺]. During this microbial reaction, acidity [H⁺] is released, which will ultimately decrease soil pH after repeated use.
Ammonium sulfate has an acidifying effect on soil due to the nitrification process, not from the presence of sulfate, which has a negligible effect on pH.
The acid-producing potential of ammonium sulfate is greater than the same N application from ammonium nitrate, for example. That's because all of the N in ammonium sulfate converts to nitrate, compared with only half of the N from ammonium nitrate that converts to nitrate.
Ammonium sulfate is mainly used as a fertilizer for alkaline soils. The ammonium ion is released in the soil and produces a small amount of acid, reducing the soil's pH balances while also adding vital nitrogen to plant production.
The reaction between the sulphuric acid and the ammonium hydroxide produces ammonium sulfate. Sulphuric acid is a strong acid and ammonium hydroxide is a weak base. Therefore, the salt formed by ammonium sulphate is acidic.
For alkaline soils, ammonium sulfate is used as a fertilizer because ammonium ion forms small amounts of acid which lowers soil pH. Its proper usage controls the pH of alkaline soil and retains sound levels of nitrogen in the soil.
