Abstract
The preparation of a potential slow-release potassium fertilizer (SRKF) from discharge from the Brazilian oil-shale industrialization process (PETROSIX) is described in this study. Thermogravimetric analysis (TG), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy data were used to indicate the best temperature for the synthesis of the fertilizer (900 °C). X-ray powder diffraction and Fourier-transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) data are compatible with a structure belonging to the metastable silicate kalsilite group, α-K2MgSi3O8. The solubility of the product, expressed as a percentage of K2O, was 30.3% (in HCl 0.5 mol/l), 23.2% (in citric acid 0.1 mol/l), and 6.9% (in H2O). These results are similar or better than those reported for other SRKFs prepared by alternative methods. The use of oil-shale fines and lime shale as starting materials for the synthesis of soil fertilizers may help to avoid waste disposal problems and lower production costs of the Brazilian oil-shale industry.
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