prEN 17761

Inorganic fertilizers - Determination of the chloride content in ammonium nitrate fertilizers of high nitrogen content

This document specifies a method for the determination of the chloride content in ammonium nitrate fertilizers of high nitrogen content.
This document is applicable to the fertilizing products blends where a blend is a mix of at least two of the following components: fertilizers, liming materials, soil improvers, growing media, inhibitors, plant biostimulants, and where the following category: inorganic fertilizers is the highest % in the blend by mass or volume, or in the case of liquid form by dry mass. If inorganic fertilizer is not the highest % in the blend, the European Standard for the highest % of the blend applies. In case a fertilizing product blend is composed of components in equal quantity, the user decides which standard to apply. Variations in analytical methods for fertilizing product blends can lead to differing results as some components or matrix interactions can affect the outcome. Validation procedures have shown that developed standard methods are robust and reliable across diverse product compositions, but possible interferences and unexpected results when analysing fertilizing product blends are possible.

Anorganische Düngemittel - Bestimmung des Chloridgehaltes in Ammoniumnitratdüngemitteln mit hohem Stickstoffgehalt

Dieses Dokument legt ein Verfahren zur Bestimmung des Chloridgehalts in Ammoniumnitrat-Düngemitteln mit hohem Stickstoffgehalt fest.
Dieses Dokument ist anwendbar auf Düngeproduktmischungen, bei denen eine Mischung aus mindestens zwei der folgenden Komponenten besteht: Düngemittel, Kalkdünger, Bodenverbesserungsmittel, Kultursubstrate, Hemmstoffe, Pflanzen-Biostimulanzien und wenn die Kategorie „anorganische Düngemittel“ den höchsten Prozentsatz in der Mischung bezüglich Masse oder Volumen, oder im Falle von flüssigen Formen bezüglich Trockenmasse ausmacht. Wenn das anorganische Düngemittel nicht den höchsten Prozentsatz in der Mischung ausmacht, gilt die Europäische Norm für den höchsten Prozentsatz der Mischung. Falls eine Düngemittelproduktmischung aus Bestandteilen gleicher Menge besteht, entscheidet der Anwender, welche Norm angewendet wird. Variationen in analytischen Verfahren für Düngeproduktmischungen können zu unterschiedlichen Ergebnissen führen, da einige Komponenten oder Matrixwechselwirkungen das Ergebnis beeinflussen können. Validierungen haben gezeigt, dass die entwickelten Standardverfahren robust und zuverlässig über unterschiedliche Produktzusammensetzungen hinweg sind. Jedoch sind mögliche Interferenzen und unerwartete Ergebnisse bei der Analyse von Düngeproduktmischungen möglich.

Engrais inorganiques - Détermination de la teneur en chlorures des engrais à base de nitrate d'ammonium à forte teneur en azote

Le présent document spécifie une méthode de détermination de la teneur en chlorures des engrais à base de nitrate d'ammonium à forte teneur en azote.
Le présent document est applicable aux mélanges de fertilisants constitués d'au moins deux des composants suivants: engrais, amendements minéraux basiques, amendements du sol, supports de culture, inhibiteurs, biostimulants des végétaux, et dans lesquels la catégorie « engrais inorganiques » représente le pourcentage le plus élevé du mélange en masse ou en volume, ou dans le cas d'un liquide, en masse sèche. Si l'engrais inorganique ne représente pas le pourcentage le plus élevé du mélange, la Norme européenne relative au pourcentage le plus élevé du mélange s'applique. Dans le cas où le mélange de fertilisants est constitué de composants en quantités égales, l'utilisateur décide quelle norme appliquer. Les variations dans les méthodes d'analyse des mélanges de fertilisants peuvent conduire à des résultats différents, car certaines interactions de composants ou de la matrice peuvent affecter le résultat. Les procédures de validation ont montré que les méthodes normalisées développées sont robustes et fiables pour diverses compositions de produits, mais des interférences éventuelles et des résultats inattendus lors de l'analyse des mélanges de fertilisants sont possibles.

Anorganska gnojila - Določanje klorida v gnojilih iz amonijevega nitrata z veliko vsebnostjo dušika

General Information

• Status: Not Published
• Publication Date: 28-Feb-2028
• ICS: 65.080 - Fertilizers
• Technical Committee: CEN/TC 260 - Fertilizers and liming materials
• Drafting Committee: CEN/TC 260/WG 7 - Chemical analysis
• Current Stage: 4020 - Submission to enquiry - Enquiry
• Start Date: 12-Mar-2026
• Due Date: 13-Oct-2026
• Completion Date: 12-Mar-2026
• Directive: Not Harmonized2019/1009 - Regulation (EU) 2019/1009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 June 2019 laying down rules on the making available on the market of EU fertilising products and amending Regulations (EC) No 1069/2009 and (EC) No 1107/2009 and repealing Regulation (EC) No 2003/2003 (Text with EEA relevance)
• Mandate: M/564 - Fertilising products in support of Regulation (EU) 2019/1009
• Mandate: M/564 AMD 1 - amending Implementing Decision C(2020) 612 as regards certain harmonised standards and standardisation deliverables, deadlines for their adoption and the duration of the validity of the standardisation request
• Mandate: M/564 AMD 2 - Commission Implementing decision amending Implementing Decision C(2020)612 as regards harmonised standards, the deadlines for the adoption of those standards and the duration of the validity of the standardisation request to the European Committee for Standardisation as regards the EU fertilising products in support of Regulation (EU) 2019/1009 of the European Parliament and of the Council
• Ref Project: oSIST prEN 17761:2026 - Inorganic fertilizers - Determination of the chloride content in ammonium nitrate fertilizers of high nitrogen content

Relations

• Revises: CEN/TS 17761:2022 - Inorganic fertilizers - Determination of the chloride content in ammonium nitrate fertilizers of high nitrogen content
• Effective Date: 01-May-2024

Overview

prEN 17761 is a draft European Standard developed by CEN’s Technical Committee 260. It specifies a reliable method for determining the chloride content in ammonium nitrate fertilizers with high nitrogen content. Designed to support the fertilizer industry and regulatory authorities, this standard ensures that inorganic fertilizers-and complex blends-are monitored for chloride levels, a critical parameter for safe use and quality assurance.

The method is applicable to blends containing at least two components from categories such as fertilizers, liming materials, soil improvers, growing media, inhibitors, and plant biostimulants-where inorganic fertilizers comprise the predominant portion by mass or volume. For other blends, different applicable European standards may override this method.

Key Topics

• Chloride Content Determination: The core focus is the accurate analysis of chloride ions in ammonium nitrate fertilizers using potentiometric titration with silver nitrate in an acidic medium.
• Applicability to Fertilizer Blends: The method extends to blends, addressing common matrix effects and possible analytical interferences that can affect results.
• Sample Preparation: Outlines specific sampling and preparation practices to ensure sample integrity and representativeness, referencing EN 1482-2 for general sample preparation.
• Analytical Procedure: Describes standardization, titration, calculation, and blank testing steps for robust, repeatable results.
• Precision and Validation: Includes inter-laboratory validation with repeatability and reproducibility parameters, allowing users to assess the method's reliability across different product types.

Applications

• Quality Control in Fertilizer Manufacturing: Fertilizer producers use this standard to monitor and control chloride content in ammonium nitrate fertilizers, ensuring compliance with quality benchmarks and safety requirements.
• Regulatory Compliance and Product Certification: National and European authorities reference prEN 17761 to verify that commercial and imported fertilizer batches meet regulatory limits for chloride content.
• Agricultural and Environmental Safety: By enabling precise chloride determination, the standard helps prevent potential negative effects of excess chloride in agricultural soils, safeguarding crop health and soil quality.
• Fertilizing Product Blends: The method’s robustness across fertilizer blends supports quality assurance in modern, multi-component fertilizer solutions.
• Comparability and Trade: Standardized testing allows for consistency in test results across the EU and internationally, facilitating fair trade and product acceptance.

Related Standards

• EN 1482-2: Fertilizers, liming materials, and inhibitors – Sampling and sample preparation – General sample preparation provisions.
• EN 1482-1: Fertilizers, liming materials, and inhibitors – General sampling provisions.
• prEN 12944-1 / prEN 12944-2: Fertilizers terminology – General terms and fertilizer-specific terms.
• ISO 5725-1 / ISO 5725-2: Accuracy of measurement methods and results – principles of repeatability and reproducibility.

Practical Value

This standard is essential for the fertilizer industry and analytical laboratories seeking to achieve accurate, reproducible results in chloride content determination for ammonium nitrate fertilizers. It supports transparent, harmonized testing across EU member states and trading partners, reducing discrepancies caused by matrix variations in blended products. By adopting prEN 17761, stakeholders are equipped to uphold high standards of product quality, regulatory compliance, and agricultural safety for both bulk fertilizers and multi-component blends containing ammonium nitrate.

Standards Content (Sample)

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
01-april-2026
Anorganska gnojila - Določanje klorida v gnojilih iz amonijevega nitrata z veliko
vsebnostjo dušika
Inorganic fertilizers - Determination of the chloride content in ammonium nitrate fertilizers
of high nitrogen content
Anorganische Düngemittel - Bestimmung des Chloridgehaltes in
Ammoniumnitratdüngemitteln mit hohem Stickstoffgehalt
Engrais inorganiques - Détermination de la teneur en chlorure des engrais à base de
nitrate d'ammonium à forte teneur en azote
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: prEN 17761
ICS:
65.080 Gnojila Fertilizers
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

DRAFT
EUROPEAN STANDARD
NORME EUROPÉENNE
EUROPÄISCHE NORM
March 2026
ICS 65.080 Will supersede CEN/TS 17761:2022
English Version
Inorganic fertilizers - Determination of the chloride
content in ammonium nitrate fertilizers of high nitrogen
content
Engrais inorganiques - Détermination de la teneur en Anorganische Düngemittel - Bestimmung des
chlorure des engrais à base de nitrate d'ammonium à Chloridgehaltes in Ammoniumnitratdüngemitteln mit
forte teneur en azote hohem Stickstoffgehalt
This draft European Standard is submitted to CEN members for enquiry. It has been drawn up by the Technical Committee
CEN/TC 260.
If this draft becomes a European Standard, CEN members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations
which stipulate the conditions for giving this European Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration.

This draft European Standard was established by CEN in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other
language made by translation under the responsibility of a CEN member into its own language and notified to the CEN-CENELEC
Management Centre has the same status as the official versions.

CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia,
Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway,
Poland, Portugal, Republic of North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye and
United Kingdom.
Recipients of this draft are invited to submit, with their comments, notification of any relevant patent rights of which they are
aware and to provide supporting documentation.

Warning : This document is not a European Standard. It is distributed for review and comments. It is subject to change without
notice and shall not be referred to as a European Standard.

EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION
COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATION

EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUNG

CEN-CENELEC Management Centre: Rue de la Science 23, B-1040 Brussels
© 2026 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved Ref. No. prEN 17761:2026 E
worldwide for CEN national Members.

Contents Page
European foreword . 3
1 Scope . 4
2 Normative references . 4
3 Terms and definitions . 4
4 Principle . 4
5 Reagents . 4
6 Apparatus and equipment . 5
7 Sampling and sample preparation . 5
7.1 Sampling . 5
7.2 Sample Preparation . 5
8 Procedure . 6
8.1 Standardization of the silver nitrate solution . 6
8.2 Blank test . 6
8.3 Check test . 7
8.4 Determination . 7
9 Calculation and expression of the result . 7
10 Precision . 8
10.1 Inter-laboratory study . 8
10.2 Repeatability . 8
10.3 Reproducibility . 8
11 Test report . 9
Annex A (informative) Results of the inter-laboratory study . 10
A.1 Inter-laboratory study . 10
A.2 Statistical results . 10
Bibliography . 12

European foreword
This document (prEN 17761:2026) has been prepared by Technical Committee CEN/TC 260 “Fertilizers
and liming materials”, the secretariat of which is held by DIN.
This document is currently submitted to the CEN Enquiry.
This document will supersede CEN/TS 17761:2022.
CEN/TS 17761:2022:
a) the CEN Technical Specification has been adopted as a European Standard;
b) update of Scope (Clause 1);
c) update of Normative references (Clause 2);
d) Sampling and sample preparation (Clause 7) has been updated;
e) the use of higher concentrated silver nitrate solution has been included;
f) the use of automated titration has been added as alternative;
g) Clause 10 (Precision) and Annex A including results of inter-laboratory study added;
h) update of Bibliography.
This document has been prepared under a standardization request addressed to CEN by the European
Commission. The Standing Committee of the EFTA States subsequently approves these requests for its
Member States.
1 Scope
This document specifies a method for the determination of the chloride content in ammonium nitrate
fertilizers of high nitrogen content.
This document is applicable to the fertilizing products blends where a blend is a mix of at least two of the
following components: fertilizers, liming materials, soil improvers, growing media, inhibitors, plant
biostimulants, and where the following category: inorganic fertilizers is the highest % in the blend by
mass or volume, or in the case of liquid form by dry mass. If inorganic fertilizer is not the highest % in the
blend, the European Standard for the highest % of the blend applies. In case a fertilizing product blend is
composed of components in equal quantity, the user decides which standard to apply. Variations in
analytical methods for fertilizing product blends can lead to differing results as some components or
matrix interactions can affect the outcome. Validation procedures have shown that developed standard
methods are robust and reliable across diverse product compositions, but possible interferences and
unexpected results when analysing fertilizing product blends are possible.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content
constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For
undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
EN 1482-2, Fertilizers, liming materials and inhibitors — Sampling and sample preparation — Part 2:
General sample preparation provisions
prEN 12944-1, Fertilizers, liming materials and inhibitors — Vocabulary — Part 1: General terms
prEN 12944-2, Fertilizers, liming materials and inhibitors — Vocabulary — Part 2: Terms relating to
fertilizers
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the terms and definitions given in prEN 12944-1 and prEN 12944-2
apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminology databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https://www.iso.org/obp
— IEC Electropedia: available at https://www.electropedia.org/
4 Principle
Chloride ions dissolved in water are determined by potentiometric titration with silver nitrate in an acidic
medium.
5 Reagents
Use only reagents of recognized analytical grade, unless otherwise specified.
5.1 Distilled or demineralized water, free from chloride ions.
5.2 Acetone, analytical grade.
5.3 Concentrated nitric acid, density ρ = 1,40 g/ml, at 20 °C.
5.4 Silver nitrate stock solution, substance concentration c = 0,100 mol/l.
Store this solution in a brown glass bottle. A commercially available standard solution of at least
0,100 mol/l may be used.
5.5 Silver nitrate solution, c = 0,004 mol/l.
Prepare this solution at the time of use.
5.6 Potassium chloride (KCl), analytical grade.
5.7 Potassium chloride (KCl) stock solution, c = 0,100 mol/l.
Weigh, to the nearest 0,1 mg, 3,727 6 g of potassium chloride (5.6), previously dried for one hour in an
oven (6.2) at 130 °C and cooled in a desiccator (6.3) to ambient temperature. Add sufficient water (5.1)
in order to dissolve the potassium chloride. Transfer the solution
...