Responding to an open call from the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization (JIEDDO), which is part of the US Department of Defense, for ideas on neutralizing ammonium nitrate, engineer Kevin Fleming made a huge discovery. By adding iron sulfate, the inherent properties of ammonium sulfate can be stabilized.
This news comes on the heels of the massive explosion at a Texas fertilizer plant, which claimed at least 14 lives. With the help of Kevin Fleming, a Sandia National Laboratories researcher, not only can events like these be prevented, but it can also affect the number of homemade bombs created around the world. The Verge reports that 65 percent of the 16,300 homemade bombs found in Afganistan used ammonium nitrate.
Key Themes Behind This Trend
- Safer Non-explosive Fertilizers
- The use of non-explosive fertilizers instead of ammonium nitrate is a disruptive innovation opportunity that can prevent fatal accidents and terrorism.
- Incorporating Iron Sulfate Into Fertilizers
- The incorporation of iron sulfate into fertilizers is a disruptive innovation opportunity that can promote safety and stability in fertilizer production and usage.
- Neutralizing Ammonium Nitrate in Fertilizers
- The development and implementation of new methods to neutralize ammonium nitrate in fertilizers is a disruptive innovation opportunity that can prevent accidents and terrorist attacks.
Where This Applies
- Agriculture
- The agriculture industry can benefit from the use of safer non-explosive fertilizers in crop production to ensure safety and stability.
- Homeland Security
- The homeland security industry can benefit from the development of new methods to neutralize ammonium nitrate in fertilizers to prevent terrorist attacks.
- Chemical Manufacturing
- The chemical manufacturing industry can benefit from the incorporation of iron sulfate in fertilizers to promote safety and stability in manufacturing and transportation.
