Manufacture of solid ammonium phosphates

A solid product comprising ammonium phosphate of N : P atomic ratio 0.95 to 1.6 is produced by a process wherein phosphoric acid and ammonia are added to an aqueous slurry of ammonium phosphate of flowable consistency at the temperature of working and having an N : P atomic ratio of between 1.2 and 1.8 to form more slurry of substantially the same composition and concentration and of flowable consistency and an amount of said slurry substantially equivalent to that produced by the addition of the phosphoric acid and ammonia is removed therefrom which comprises mixing the amount of slurry removed with an amount of a second liquid or slurry capable of ammoniation by it (i.e. of lower pH) so that the ammonium phosphate of the resulting product has a predetermined and lower N : P atomic ratio than that of the original aqueous slurry of ammonium phosphate, the moisture contents of the removed aqueous slurry and the second liquid or slurry being such that the resulting product solidifies during mixing, and treating said product above ambient temperature under such conditions as to effect forward transport and agitation involving repeated exposure of fresh surfaces thereof, and for a sufficient period of time for said product to be solid as hereinbefore defined at ambient temperature. If this predetermined N : P atomic ratio is less than required for the desired said solid as hereinbefore defined then, subsequent to the mixing of the removed ammonium phosphate slurry with said second liquid or slurry, ammoniation is effected, after sufficient moisture is removed to prevent liquefaction during said ammoniation, to produce said solid having the desired N : P atomic ratio. The second liquid or slurry may comprise at least one mineral acid e.g. phosphoric acid, or it may comprise nitric acid or sulphuric or mixtures of these two acids. The mineral acid or mixture of mineral acids used may be itself partially ammoniated. An ammonium salt or urea may be introduced at or following the addition of the second liquid or slurry, either in the form of a solid or a concentrated aqueous solution. Example 1 refers to a solid product of ammonium phosphate of average composition 10.9% N, 50.8% P2O5, 9.6% H2O and N : P atomic ratio 0.95, which is made by the addition of 40% P2O5 "wet process" phosphoric acid at 24 DEG C. and gaseous ammonia to a slurry of composition 45% P2O5, 14% H2O and N : P atomic ratio of 1.3 to 1.4, at 114 DEG C. An equivalent amount of the slurry is withdra