Enhancing filtration rate of new valley oxidized phosphate concentrate with additives

Abstract

Phosphoric acid is utilized for production of fertilizers. It is mainly produced by wet processes, in which phosphate concentrate, produce by several operations including crushing, scrubbing, classification, attritioning, and desliming, is leached with sulfuric acid with coproduction of calcium sulfate dihydrate (phosphogypsum). The New Valley oxidized phosphate concentrate was processed for phosphoric acid production by addition of certain additives to improve gypsum filtration through modifying its morphology and particle size distribution. The additives used were cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) as a cationic surfactant, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) as an anionic surfactant and sulfonic acid (SA). The applied dosages ranged from 0.25 to 2.5 kg additive/Mg P2O5 in the phosphate concentrate. The filtration rate of the New Valley oxidized phosphate concentrate is 3.6 Mg P2O5 /m 2 day without additives. The filtration rate was increased by 33% and 31% with 1 and 0.8 kg/Mg P2O5 doses of CPC surfactant and sulfonic acid (SA), respectively. On the other hand, the filtration rate was decreased by 33% with addition of 1 kg/Mg P2O5 dose of SDS. The aspect ratios of gypsum crystals were 6:1, 3:1, 3:1 and 12:1 without additive, with CPC, SA and SDS surfactant, respectively. Reaction efficiencies without and with 0.8 kg/Mg P2O5 of CPC, SA and SDS dose of additives were 95.0%, 97.9%, 97.9% and 94.7%, respectively. The P2O5 recoveries without and with 0.8 kg/Mg P2O5 of CPC, SA and SDS dose of additives were 92.6%, 95.5%, 95.8% and 90.8%, respectively.