Di-Ammonium Phosphate Mflam DAP, often listed with the HS Code 31053000, turns up in chemical supply catalogs everywhere you look. The formula, (NH4)2HPO4, puts together nitrogen and phosphorus in a solid product, found in multiple forms—flakes, powders, pearls, crystals, sometimes a solution for industrial use. This stuff’s not rare; it’s a reliable building block in agriculture and industry. The density usually falls near 1.6 g/cm3. Most suppliers sell it as a free-flowing solid: white or off-white, sometimes with a slick crystalline sheen. Someone working in a warehouse knows the sound it makes when poured, a soft crunch—not much dust. In my chemical handling days, I’d always go for DAP over the more aggressive ammonium phosphate types, since the odor stays faint and handling it, with proper gear, avoids those harsh fumes you get from other phosphates.
Di-Ammonium Phosphate comes from the neutralization of phosphoric acid with ammonia. The molecular weight sits around 132.06 g/mol. The raw materials in each batch typically feature food-storage grade ammonia and process-controlled phosphoric acid to stabilize impurities. The crystals build out into monoclinic structures—think haystack-shaped, flat edges, nothing sticky about it. In water, this product dissolves quickly; a tech with a beaker and a stir rod can mix up a near-saturated liter in minutes, yielding a slightly basic pH. Water solubility reaches upward of 570 g/L at room temperature, so you get a dense solution. It stays stable down to temperatures well below freezing, unlike some fertilizers that cake or degrade. Pick up a handful in the pulverized form and you will notice a slight granularity—not rough, but not smooth either. As a fire retardant, DAP gets spread in both solid and solution form by wildland firefighters, which I’ve seen in hillside drops after a summer blaze.
You see Di-Ammonium Phosphate Mflam DAP supplied in bags, drums, or bulk containers. Flakes come off the conveyor in wide, thin chips; powder form spills like fine sand and fits best for mixing. Pearls—rounded, almost like fish roe—work for spreading by hand or machine. The crystal version sparkles, reflecting overhead shop light, and has a distinctly slick touch. Liquid preparations involve concentrated solutions, often required for precision application in manufacturing or laboratory environments. Whether solid or dissolved, the P2O5 content stays consistent, usually above 53% by weight. Specific gravity for the liquid version can push 1.5, which matters for mixing tanks and pumps.
On safety sheets, Di-Ammonium Phosphate sits on the mild end of hazardous chemical lists. It’s not explosive and doesn’t burn, but can irritate eyes, lungs, and skin with enough exposure. You won’t see severe toxicity in small, accidental ingestion, though large doses may disrupt the balance of nutrients in soils or water systems. When I worked in a setting where bags arrived stacked to the ceiling, we followed standard chemical hygiene: gloves, face protection, washdowns if dust clouds formed. Spilling raw material on warehouse grout left visible white streaks, easy to mop up, unlike stickier or corrosive industrial chemicals. Disposal laws require keeping large shipments out of waterways and protected from runoff, since phosphate contamination triggers algae blooms, affecting fishing communities directly. Anyone mixing or packaging this compound pays careful attention to ventilation, dust control, and clean-up routines—practices every chemical handler respects, not only for their own health but for downstream environmental effects.
Factories source the two main ingredients—ammonia and phosphoric acid—from global suppliers, many of them based in countries with robust mining and chemical synthesis industries. Each delivery comes tracked with batch numbers for traceability. Consistent raw material purity determines whether the finished DAP can be certified for food-grade use, technical-grade manufacturing, or field-grade agriculture. Surges in global demand for fertilizer make the supply chain sensitive to price spikes. During planting seasons, logistical snags cause farmers and cooperatives to scramble, and I’ve seen smaller operations band together for bulk buys, just to secure a steady stock. Producers and shippers monitor environmental compliance tightly, since even low-grade runoff dumps phosphorus into rivers and lakes, starting a chain that can compromise local water. Solutions from a practical standpoint involve buffer strips between agricultural fields and streams, investment in closed-loop manufacturing, and incentives for recycling phosphorus from food waste or animal waste. By transforming agricultural residues back into phosphate products, the industry could reduce mining impacts, lower input costs, and bring some chemical cycles back into local control.
