Abstract
Phosphogypsum (PG) is a by-product of the phosphorus fertilizer production. Due to its radionuclide and heavy metal content, PG tailings pose both environmental and health risks. On the other side, gypsum is a valuable raw material, primarily used in construction. Hence, a study was conducted to analyze the gypsum market, both demand and supply, focusing on Eastern and Southeastern Europe (ESEE).The reduction of coal-fired power plants in Europe causes a decline of gypsum produced by flue-gas desulfurization and simultaneous increase in “dry” construction methods as well as soil salinization in Europe. A decrease in supply and increase in demand results in a growing market for gypsum in years to come. Impurities call for primary treatment of PG.
Highlights
Phosphoric acid for phosphorus fertilizers is produced during the “wet process”, whereby the ground phosphate rock is treated with sulfuric acid, with gypsum as a by-product
The amount of gypsum used in boards in Europe and Eastern and Southeastern Europe (ESEE) was estimated based on PRODCOM data [8], and population forecasts from Eurostat
Demand in ESEE decreases with the population, as opposed to overall Europe
Summary
Phosphoric acid for phosphorus fertilizers is produced during the “wet process”, whereby the ground phosphate rock is treated with sulfuric acid, with gypsum as a by-product. 4 to 5 tons (t) of phosphogypsum (PG) are produced per t of phosphoric acid. Worldwide 100 to 280 Mt of PG are produced annually [1]; with 175 Mt of gypsum and anhydrite mined in 2016 [2]. Due to the content of radionuclides (mainly U and Th) of phosphate rock, both phosphoric acid and PG are slightly radioactive. About 15% of the global PG is reused as soil stabilizer, agricultural fertilizer and in the cement industry [3]. The majority of phosphate reserves are derived from sedimentary sources with higher radionuclide content than magmatic sources [4, 5]. To investigate the reuse potential of PG in order to reduce tailings, a market analysis with focus on ESEE was conducted
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