2024/08/30 by Hogen, Tobias, Barbana, Nesrine, Kemper, Sebastian +3
#600 Technik #Medizin #angewandte Wissenschaften::620 Ingenieurwissenschaften::624 Ingenieurbau #fluorosilicic acid #industrial wastewater treatment #phosphoric acid #salt recovery #water recovery
paper · doi:10.14279/depositonce-21262
This paper tackles the issue of water intensity of phosphate fertilizer (P-fertilizer) production. Our study focuses the acidic effluent from the wet P-fertilizer production process, containing phosphates, fluorides, silicates, sulfates, and hardness-forming compounds. A novel wastewater treatment approach, encompassing both water and salt recovery, has been developed. The methodology involves laboratory experiments utilizing authentic effluent from a production site in Jordan. Furthermore, a thermodynamic simulation model was formulated to aid in the understanding and scale-up of the examined treatment process. The outcomes of the study revealed that a two-step neutralization of the P-fertilizer wastewater using NaOH, followed by the separation of precipitates, could lead to a reduction of approximately 94 % in fluoride content and nearly complete removal of water hardness components. Remarkably, this process retained the majority of phosphates in solution. The treated effluent becomes well-suited for subsequent conventional reverse osmosis (RO), yielding about 50 % treated water, with the potential to recycle the brine back into the production process. An initial economic evaluation suggests a favorable business proposition, with projected revenues ranging from 0.48 to 9.95 per cubic meter of treated feedwater, depending on average or optimistic boundary conditions. In summary, this research offers an innovative and economically viable solution for addressing the water-intensive challenges in phosphate fertilizer production, emphasizing sustainable resource management and the potential for substantial environmental and economic benefits.