Formation of titanium phosphate composites during phosphoric acid decomposition of natural sphene

Abstract

Decomposition of mineral sphene, CaTiOSiO 4, by H 3PO 4 is investigated in detail. During the dissolution process, simultaneous calcium leaching and formation of titanium phosphate (TiP) take place. The main product of decomposition is a solid titanium phosphate–silica composite. The XRD, solid-sate NMR, IR, TGA, SEM and BET data were used to identify and characterize the composite as a mixture of crystalline Ti(HPO 4) 2·H 2O and silica. When 80% phosphoric acid is used the decomposition degree is higher than 98% and calcium is completely transferred into the liquid phase. Formation of Ti(HPO 4) 2·H 2O proceeds via formation of meta-stable titanium phosphate phases, Ti(H 2PO 4)(PO 4)·2H 2O and Ti(H 2PO 4)(PO 4). The sorption affinities of TiP composites were examined in relation to caesium and strontium ions. A decrease of H 3PO 4 concentration leads to formation of composites with greater sorption properties. The maximum sorption capacity of TiP is observed when 60% H 3PO 4 is used in sphene decomposition. The work demonstrates a valuable option within the Ti(HPO 4) 2·H 2O–SiO 2 composite synthesis scheme, to use phosphoric acid flows for isolation of CaHPO 4·2H 2O fertilizer.