Nitric acid has been manufactured in North Bend, Ohio since 1965. Trammo acquired the site in 2018. The main ingredient in nitric acid is anhydrous ammonia, providing significant synergies between Trammo’s ammonia operations in the U.S. and our nitric cid operations.
Nitric acid is a fertilizer raw material and is also used in many other industrial and chemical applications, including nylon 6,6, metal treatment and uranium processing. Trammo currently supplies nitric acid to customers in the U.S. and Canada.
Trammo's role in the global supply chain
In 2018, the Company acquired Agrium’s North Bend, Ohio nitric acid production and distribution facility (“North Bend”) from Agrium U.S. Inc. North Bend is a specialized manufacturing and distribution facility for nitrogen based industrial and agricultural products located on 88 acres in an industrial complex on the bank of the Ohio River, 20 miles northwest of Cincinnati.
North Bend is the only facility in North America producing high-quality nitric acid 100% on-purpose to supply the specialized industrial end-use merchant market. The North Bend facility has an annual capacity of 75,000 metric tons of nitric acid production along with significant transportation and storage infrastructure for other nitrogen-based products. Staffed with highly experienced plant operations, marketing and distribution teams with a strong commitment to safety, we are dedicated to meeting our customers’ timely requirements.
“We are focused on the needs of the customer and reliability of operations of our facility in a safe, environmentally friendly way, with flexibility of service and quality of product.”
Jeffrey Minnis
Product Manager, Nitric Acid
The Product
Nitric acid is one of the world’s largest commodity chemicals, with a global market estimated to be approximately $30 billion with an annual growth rate forecasted to be 3-5% through 2030. The product is used predominantly as an intermediate for fertilizer production (mainly ammonium and calcium ammonium nitrate) and for the production of nitro-containing organic intermediates. Additional uses include stainless steel treating and metal plating, the production of calcium nitrate and metal nitrate catalysts, and the formation of commercial cleaners and sanitizers used in the food and hotel industries. Approximately 80% of nitric acid is used for fertilizer products, while the remaining 20% is used in industrial and chemical applications.
The largest chemical end uses for nitric acid include nitrobenzene, adipic acid (into Nylon 6, 6 chain), toluene diisocyanate (TDI), and nitrochlorobenzenes, which collectively account for nearly 13% of global nitric acid consumption. Other important end uses include production of explosives, metal treatment, and uranium processing. Nitric acid is a strongly acidic and corrosive liquid that is commercially produced from ammonia via stepwise oxidation and absorption in water.
The Market
The United States is the world’s fourth-largest producer and consumer of nitric acid, following Eastern Europe, Western Europe, and China. The United States accounts for 13.0% of total world production of nitric acid. North America is projected to experience significant growth due to growth expectations in end-use markets such as automotive, construction, and agriculture. These industries require high-quality nitric acid for a myriad of applications, including metal treatment and lightweight nylon parts, concrete drying accelerator and fertilizers.
Essential Uses
