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Phosphoric Acid: Diagram 1: Dihydrate Process

Phosphoric acid is produced through wet processes using phosphate minerals as raw materials. There are three main stages to the dihydrate process: grinding the raw materials, reacting them with sulfuric acid to produce phosphoric acid and calcium sulfate, and filtering and concentrating the phosphoric acid product. The process involves grinding phosphate rock, reacting it with sulfuric acid to form phosphoric acid and gypsum as a byproduct, filtering to separate the phosphoric acid from gypsum, and concentrating the phosphoric acid through evaporation.

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160 views

Phosphoric Acid: Diagram 1: Dihydrate Process

Phosphoric acid is produced through wet processes using phosphate minerals as raw materials. There are three main stages to the dihydrate process: grinding the raw materials, reacting them with sulfuric acid to produce phosphoric acid and calcium sulfate, and filtering and concentrating the phosphoric acid product. The process involves grinding phosphate rock, reacting it with sulfuric acid to form phosphoric acid and gypsum as a byproduct, filtering to separate the phosphoric acid from gypsum, and concentrating the phosphoric acid through evaporation.

Uploaded by

Savita Gupta
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Phosphoric Acid

INTRODUCTION
Processes with different raw materials are used in the manufacture of phosphoric acid. The
process is known as “thermal” when the raw material is elemental phosphorus. The processes
that use phosphated minerals which are decomposed with an acid, are known as “wet processes”
and they are the only economic alternative way to produce phosphoric acid.There are three
possible subgroups of wet processes depending on the acid that is used for the acidulation.

DESCRIPTION OF PRODUCTION PROCESSES


Raw Materials for Phosphoric Acid Production
Bones used to be the principal natural source of phosphorus but phosphoric acid today is
produced from phosphatic ores mined in various parts of the world. The phosphate minerals in
both types of ore are of the apatite group, of which the most commonly encountered variants
are:-
– Fluorapatite Ca10(PO4)6(F,OH)2
– Francolite Ca10(PO4)6–x(CO3)x(F,OH)2+x
Fluorapatite predominates in igneous phosphate rocks and francolite predominates in
sedimentary phosphate rocks.

Principles of the Process

Process Description

Dihydrate Process
Diagram 1: Dihydrate Process
The dihydrate process comprises four stages: grinding, reaction, filtration and concentration

Grinding Some grades of commercial rock do not need grinding, their particle size distribution
being acceptable for a dihydrate reaction section (60-70% less then 150μm). Most other
phosphate rocks need particle size reduction, generally by ball or rod mills. Both mills can
operate with wet or dry rock.

Reaction
The tricalcium phosphate is converted by reaction with concentrated sulphuric acid into
phosphoric acid and insoluble calcium sulphate. The reactor maintains an agitated reaction
volume in circulation. The reaction system consists of a series of separate agitated reactors but in
the interests of economy of materials and space, the multi-vessel reaction system is
replaced by a single tank in some processes. Some of these single tanks may be divided into
compartments which are virtually separate reactors. The operating conditions for dehydrate
precipitation are 26-32% P2O5 and 70-80°C. This temperature is controlled by passing the slurry
through a flash cooler, which also de-gasses the slurry and makes it easier to pump. The
temperature can also be controlled by using an air circulating cooler

Filtration
This stage separates the phosphoric acid from the calcium sulphate dihydrate. Five tones of
gypsum are generated for every tonne (P2O5) of product acid produced. The filter medium must
move in sequence through the various stages for continuous operation. The initial separation
must be followed by at least two stages of washing, to ensure a satisfactory recovery of soluble
P2O5. It is only possible to achieve the desired degree of separation at a reasonable rate if the
filtration is either pressure or vacuum assisted and in practice vacuum is always used. The
remaining liquid must be removed from the filter cake as far as possible at the end of the
washing sequence. The cake must then be discharged and the cloth efficiently washed to clear it
of any remaining solids which might otherwise build up and impair filtration in subsequent
cycles. The vacuum must be released during the discharge of the cake and it is beneficial to blow
air through in the reverse direction at this point to help dislodge the solids. The filtrate and
washings must be kept separate from one another and have to be separated from air under
vacuum conditions and then delivered under atmospheric pressure, as product, or for return to the
process. The pressure difference is usually maintained by delivering the filtrates below the
surface of the liquid in barometric tanks placed at a level sufficiently below the separators for the
head of liquid tom balance the vacuum. The most common filtration equipment is of three basic
types: tilting pan, rotary table or travelling belt.

Concentration
There is a long history of direct contact concentrators, in which evaporation is effected by
bringing the acid into intimate contact with hot combustion gas from a burner, enabling
equipment walls to be made of materials and in thicknesses which are suitable for efficient
indirect heat transfer. Various patterns of direct-fired concentrator have been devised. Currently,
almost all evaporators that are being built today for this service are of the forced circulation
design. The forced circulation evaporator consists of a heat exchanger, vapour or flash chamber,
condenser, vacuum pump, acid circulating pump and circulation piping. A fluosilicic acid
scrubber is usually included in the forced circulation evaporator system. All the evaporators in
this service are generally of the single-effect design because of the corrosive nature of
phosphoric acid and the very high boiling point elevation. The heat exchangers are abricated
from graphite or stainless steel with the rest of the equipment made from rubberlined steel. All
equipment designs will be made using the best practices of engineering available. More than one
evaporator may be used, with the acid passing in sequence through each, depending on the
degree of concentration required.

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