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Byproducts and Impurities in Phosphoric Acid

The document discusses byproducts and impurities in phosphoric acid production, highlighting phosphogypsum and gaseous fluorine compounds as main byproducts, along with heavy metals and radioactive elements as impurities. It outlines various purification techniques such as solvent extraction, crystallization, membrane separation, and chemical precipitation to remove these impurities. Additionally, it details applications of phosphoric acid in the fertilizer industry, including the production of MAP, DAP, NPK, and TSP.

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20 views9 pages

Byproducts and Impurities in Phosphoric Acid

The document discusses byproducts and impurities in phosphoric acid production, highlighting phosphogypsum and gaseous fluorine compounds as main byproducts, along with heavy metals and radioactive elements as impurities. It outlines various purification techniques such as solvent extraction, crystallization, membrane separation, and chemical precipitation to remove these impurities. Additionally, it details applications of phosphoric acid in the fertilizer industry, including the production of MAP, DAP, NPK, and TSP.

Uploaded by

c.elkhzimi
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

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BYPRODUCTS & IMPURITIES


IN PHOSPHORIC ACID

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MAIN BYPRODUCTS - PHOSPHOGYPSUM (CASO₄·2H₂O)

Phosphogypsum is generated in massive quantities (about 5 tons of phosphogypsum for


every ton of phosphoric acid produced)

• Contains naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM), particularly radium-226


• Limited commercial value compared to volumes produced
• Contains trace amounts of heavy metals, fluorides, and other impurities.

MAIN BYPRODUCTS - GASEOUS FLUORINE COMPOUNDS

1.HYDROGEN FLUORIDE (HF) 2.SILICON TETRAFLUORIDE (SIF₄)


• Highly corrosive and toxic gas • A Colorless, Corrosive, Non-flammable, Toxic
• Environmental and health hazards Gas;

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IMPURITIES IN PHOSPHORIC ACID - HEAVY METALS

• Cadmium (cd) - highly toxic, strict regulations worldwide


• Arsenic (as) - strict limits for food-grade acid
• Mercury (hg) - severe environmental and health concerns, etc...
--> Must be removed to meet strict requirements for food applications, protect human health, and avoid
equipment damage through scaling.

IMPURITIES IN PHOSPHORIC ACID - RADIOACTIVE ELEMENTS

• Uranium (u) - can concentrate in phosphoric acid


• Thorium (th) - less soluble than uranium in acidic conditions
• Radium (ra) - mostly remains in phosphogypsum
--> Must be removed to ensure worker safety, address environmental concerns, and in some cases, to recover
valuable byproducts like uranium.
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6
PURIFICATION TECHNIQUES

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PURIFICATION TECHNIQUES OF PHOSPHORIC ACID

1.Solvent Extraction-based Process: Liquid–liquid Extraction Using Organic Solvents.


• Common solvents: Methyl Isobutyl Ketone (MIBK), Tributyl Phosphate (TBP), etc.
• Process:
_ Mix wet-process phosphoric acid (WPA) with solvent.
_ Extract phosphoric acid from impurities & Recover acid by stripping solvent with water.

2.CRYSTALLIZATION (Cold Acid Purification - CAP): Cooling phosphoric acid to precipitate impurities.
• Process:
_ Phosphoric acid is cooled to precipitate impurities.
_ Impurities stay in the remaining liquid, while pure acid forms crystals.
_ Crystals are melted and drained for purified phosphoric acid.

3.Membrane Separation
Separation based on size, charge, and molecular weight using semi-permeable membranes.
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PURIFICATION TECHNIQUES OF PHOSPHORIC ACID

4.CHEMICAL PRECIPITATION
This method involves adding precipitating agents to convert dissolved impurities into solid precipitates, which
can be filtered out.

• Common Agents Used:


_ Lime (Cao) For Sulfate Removal
_ Sodium Carbonate (Na₂co₃) For Heavy Metal Removal

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7
APPLICATIONS OF
PHOSPHORIC ACID

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APPLICATIONS OF PHOSPHORIC ACID IN FERTILIZER INDUSTRY

MAP
NH4H2PO4
• Produced by reacting ammonia gas (NH₃) with phosphoric acid (H₃PO₄)
DAP
(NH4)2HPO4
• Produced by reacting ammonia gas (NH₃) with phosphoric acid (H₃PO₄)
NPK
%N-%P-%K
• Produced by mixing nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium compounds in
required proportions
TSP
Ca(H2PO4)2
• Produced by reacting phosphate rock with phosphoric acid (H₃PO₄) 42
Thank you

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