PRILLING METHOD

A method of prilling using mechanical agitation in a prill head is provided to allow adequate mixing and reaction of the ingredients so that resultant beneficial properties are exploited, to introduce agitation into the prill head which introduces shear thinning to the high viscosity molten mixture, and to allow sufficient reaction time to develop advantageous properties in the product. A prilling method to prill a shear-thinnable mixture comprises the steps of: a) providing a molten first component: b) mixing at least a second component with the molten first component: c) reacting the components to form a shear-thinnable mixture: and d) prilling the shear-thinnable mixture, wherein the prilling comprises mechanically agitating in the prill head to shear the shear-thinnable mixture sufficiently to permit prilling. The first component is ammonium nitrate, and the second component is ammonium sulfate. The prill head is one selected from a rotating bucket with a stationary blade, a stationary bucket with rotating scrappers and blades and an agitated, pressurized nozzle assembly. An apparatus for prilling comprises a prill head having means for agitating mechanically to shear thin a shear-thinnable mixture. The means for agitating mechanically further comprises surface-wiping blades. The agitated prill head is readily incorporated into the existing prilling apparatus.