Top 11 Nitric Acid Producers Powering the Global Manufacturing of Chemicals in 2026

Aqua fortis, also known as nitric acid (HNO3), is a colorless fluid that progressively turns yellow over time when nitrogen and water break down into oxides. This extremely caustic substance is essential to the production of ammonium nitrate and other chemicals. Furthermore, compounds including nitrobenzene, adipic acid, and chloronitrobenzene are made from nitric acid.

A mainstay of the chemical industry, nitric acid is used for a wide range of purposes, including crop cultivation, infrastructure construction, and medical advancement. Its usage entails a great deal of responsibility, including the need to handle it carefully by keeping an eye towards the environment in regards with its usage.

Fortune Business Insights estimates the market for nitric acid to grow from USD 30.84 billion in 2025 to USD 39.53 billion by 2034, with a significant CAGR of 2.80% over the forecast period.

Fortune Business Insights Unveils its Top 11 Notable Nitric Acid Companies in Market

1. BASF SE

In the chemical sector, BASF SE is the world leader. Chemicals, material, industrial, and agricultural, surface technologies, nutrition & care are the company’s six main segments. BASF works in more than 92 countries and has 235 active production locations globally; its broad product line comprises a variety of chemicals, polymers, performance products, agricultural solutions, and oil and gas products. Solvents, plasticizers, monomers, and catalysts are just a few of the basic chemicals, intermediates, and specialties produced by its chemicals division. The company’s efforts to lessen its environmental effect, boost resource efficiency, and create creative solutions that tackle global issues demonstrate its dedication to sustainable development.

2. Nutrien

With a top-notch network of production, distribution, and agricultural retail facilities, Nutrien is a prominent supplier of crop inputs and services. In 2018, Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan and Agrium, which had been in business since 1859, merged to become Nutrien, which is now a major global supplier of agricultural solutions. The business produces potash, nitrogen, and phosphate products for feed, industrial, and agricultural consumers globally. With operations in more than 50 countries and a total of 600,000 clients, the corporation has a total manufacturing capacity of more than 27 million tons.

3. Neochim Plc.

Fertilizers and both organic and inorganic chemical products are produced and traded by Neochim Plc. Nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers, sulfuric acid, nitrogen, nitric acid, ammonium hydrogen carbonate, ammonium nitrate, and ammonia anhydrous, are among many other products of the company. The business has operations in Turkey, Morocco, Romania, Hungary, Italy, and other countries.

4. CF Industries Holdings, Inc.

The company is a top producer of hydrogen and nitrogen products used in renewable energy applications and agriculture (fertilizers including ammonia, urea, and ammonium nitrate). With an average annual capacity of 10.4 million tons, the firm is the world’s largest producer of ammonia. The corporation runs 17 ammonia units spread over nine production complexes in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. The Donaldsonville Complex in Louisiana is its biggest facility. Although the company’s yearly production mostly consists of ammonia, granular urea, UAN, and ammonium nitrate, it also produces nitric acid, diesel exhaust fluid (DEF), and urea liquor.

5. Omnia Group Limited

Omnia Holdings Limited is a multifaceted chemicals group that focuses on offering cutting-edge services and solutions in three primary industries namely chemicals, mining, and agriculture. Omnia’s mining, chemicals, and agriculture divisions offer specialized, knowledge-based, and creative solutions. Protea Mining Chemicals (PMC), BME, and nutriology are some of these divisions. With significant activities in Africa, Australia, Indonesia, Brazil, North America, and China, the corporation is currently present in 23 countries globally. The company has 47 manufacturing mixing, and packaging facilities in addition to 77 distribution locations all over the world.

6. Dyno Nobel

In March 2025, Incitec Pivot Limited changed its name to Dyno Nobel Limited. Dyno Nobel is a global leader in technical blasting services and commercial explosives, with a focus on the mining, quarrying, construction, seismic exploration, and infrastructure sectors. Its product portfolio includes a variety of detonators, electronic initiation systems, digital blasting platforms such as BlastiQ, and bulk and packaged explosives. Dyno Nobel operates with 32 manufacturing facilities across three continents, including its cutting-edge infrastructure in the U.S., Mexico, and Australia. Its business is divided into three sectors which include Dyno Nobel Americas, Dyno Nobel Asia Pacific, and Dyno Nobel EMEA & LATAM. The company can produce more than 54 million pounds of packaged explosives and more than 1.2 million tons of ammonium nitrate.

7. Enaex S.A.

With a focus on rock fragmentation services for the mining sector, the company is a well-known global supplier of high-energy materials and blasting solutions. In addition to providing a range of services such as Open Pit Services, Underground Services, and Technical Services, the company’s primary activities include production of ammonium nitrate, manufacturing of explosives, and provision of integrated blasting services. Enaex S.A. runs the Prillex America plant, one of the biggest ammonium nitrate production facilities in the world. The company sells its products in a number of areas, including non-explosive fracturing, raw material, bulk explosives, packaged explosives, and initiation systems. The factory can produce about 850,000 tons a year.

8. Sasol

Sasol is a multinational corporation that produces chemicals and energy. It creates value for stakeholders by sourcing, producing, and marketing a variety of high-quality products in 22 countries in a safe and sustainable manner. The corporation is traded on the New York Stock Exchange in the U.S. and the Johannesburg Stock Exchange in South Africa. Its two main business sectors are chemical and energy. The firm and Dyno Nobel Limited signed a joint venture agreement in May 2007 to address the African market’s increasing need for cutting-edge products. The company supplies over 40% of South Africa’s domestic fuel needs through retail and wholesale channels.

9. IXOM

With more than a century of experience in water treatment, manufacturing, and chemical procurement, IXOM is a global recognized chemical and water treatment infrastructure corporation. It began operating independently in 2015 after splitting off from Orica Australia Pty Ltd. The company offers its products in a variety of industries, including water, food, beverage & nutrition, mining & metals, building & infrastructure, and many others.

10. LSB Industries

One of the top manufacturers of nitrogen-based chemical products in North America, LSB Industries, Inc. serves the mining, industrial, and agricultural industries. The company produces nitrogen-based products, such as ammonium nitrate solutions and prills, anhydrous ammonia, and industrial acids (nitric, sulfuric, and mixed acids). It also serves a variety of applications, such as agricultural fertilizers, biofuel crops, and livestock fodder. The company has three manufacturing locations in El Dorado (AR), Cherokee (AL), and Pryor (OK), in addition to a facility in Baytown, Texas.

11. Karun Petrochemical Company

One of the leading producers in the polyurethane chemical industry, Karun Petrochemical Company, was the first in the Middle East to make isocyanates such as nitric acid (HNO3), methylene diphenyldiisocyanate (MDI), and toluene diisocyanate (TDI). The company produces a wide range of chemical products that are divided into three main categories namely main products (TDI, MDI), by-products (Aniline, Nitrobenzene, Nitric Acid, HCL), and knowledge-based specialty grades (KP, KLM 100, KM-70, KHR-45, KCS-20, KMT-10).

Future of Nitric Acid with Environmentally Friendly Solutions and Sustainable Production

Nitric acid is used in many different industries due to its strong oxidizing and corrosive qualities. Its versatility is evident in everything from metal etching and explosives manufacturing to fertilizer production. Growth is anticipated to be shaped by a move toward environmentally friendly technologies as a response to tighter restrictions and growing sustainability demands and sustainable production by concentrating on cutting-edge production methods that reduce resource use and carbon footprint associated with nitric acid production. Innovation in technology and digitalization are also set to grow in the future. The top 11 nitric acid producers have a bright future ahead of them as a result of growing demand from sectors including chemical manufacture and agriculture.