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Title: Recovery of phosphates from elemental phosphorus bearing wastes

Conference ·
OSTI ID:10190478

A process for oxidizing aqueous elemental phosphorus containing residues (sludges) to produce orthophosphate containing slurries suitable for subsequent reaction with ammonia to produce nitrogen and phosphate containing fertilizer products is presented. It comprises reacting aqueous elemental phosphorus containing residues with certain special mixtures of concentrated nitric acid and sulfuric acid to effect the conversion of the elemental phosphorus into mostly orthophosphoric acid and very little orthophosphorus acid with the relative ratios of the two acids being dependent upon the mole ratio of H{sub 2}SO{sub 4}:HNO{sub 3} employed in the processing. The resulting aqueous reaction intermediate is neutralized with ammonia during processing to a fluid or solid fertilizer product. Prior to the conversion to products, the aqueous reaction intermediate may be subjected to a solids separation step to remove insoluble salts of certain environmentally undesirable metals, such as Pb, Cd, Ba, and Cr.

Research Organization:
Tennessee Valley Authority, Muscle Shoals, AL (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
Tennessee Valley Authority, Knoxville, TN (United States)
OSTI ID:
10190478
Report Number(s):
CONF-9309146-9; ON: DE95001733; TRN: 94:009704
Resource Relation:
Conference: 5. annual American Chemical Society (ACS) Industrial and Engineering Chemistry (I&EC) Division special symposium on emerging technologies for hazardous waste management,Atlanta, GA (United States),27-29 Sep 1993; Other Information: PBD: [1994]
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English