Occidental Chemical Company

Occidental Chemical Agricultural Products, Inc.

Harold E Mills

David L Murdock

Francis M Sale

Richard M Ramer

Ronald J Hirko

Phosphoric acids of significantly different content of soluble impurities, especially magnesium compounds, can be blended to produce a phosphoric acid with a decreased tendency for forming detrimental solids when converted to a liquid fertilizer or on storage, or during transportation as when the acid is transported by ocean vessel or rail road tank car. The blending can be effected either before or after a concentration step or steps (e.g., evaporation to 'merchant grade' or to superphosphoric acid). For example, wet process phosphoric acid produced by a dihydrate or gypsum process can be blended with a phosphoric acid produced by a hemihydrate process.

Process for blending phosphoric acids of differing impurity content

Phosphoric acids of significantly different content of soluble impurities, especially magnesium compounds, can be blended to produce a phosphoric acid with a decreased tendency for forming detrimental solids when converted to a liquid fertilizer or on storage, or during transportation as when the acid is transported by ocean vessel or railroad tank car. The blending can be effected either before or after a concentration step or steps (e.g., evaporation to 'merchant grade' or to superphosphoric acid). For example, wet process phosphoric acid produced by a dihydrate or gypsum process can be blended with a phosphoric acid produced by a hemihydrate process.

Metal ion impurities are removed from phosphoric acid by adding to the acid a precipitant comprising ions of calcium and fluorine to cause precipitation of a magnesium-containing precipitate. A preferred precipitant is one containing calcium flouride, such as the sludge obtained by treating pond water from a phosphoric acid plant with a calcium-containing compound. Preferably, the soluble sulfate content of the phosphoric acid is maintained at at least about 2% by weight. An animal feed can be prepared from the precipitate by combining the precipitate with phosphate rock, water, and a sodium-containing compound, and then calcining the combination.

Metallic ion removal from phosphoric acid

Anhydrous hydrogen fluoride of high purity can be recovered from metallic fluoride salts containing phosphate values by digesting the metallic salts in an aqueous solution in a humid atmosphere at a sufficiently high temperature to release a gas containing hydrogen fluoride and negligible amount of P.sub.2 O.sub.5. The released gas is rectified in a rectification operation which includes a rectification zone in which the rectification occurs in the presence of sulfuric acid.

Recovery of hydrogen fluoride from metallic fluoride salts

Calcium fluoride is produced from pond waters resulting from phosphoric acid processing by treating the pond waters with calcium carbonate and/or calcium oxide in two stages to precipitate out the major part of the fluorine values from the waters as calcium fluoride. After removal of the calcium fluoride the filtrate is treated with calcium oxide to remove a substantial portion of the remaining fluorine values as calcium fluoride. After removal of these calcium fluoride solids, the filtrate is treated with another charge of calcium oxide to produce dicalcium phosphate (dical) which is separated from the aqueous phase. The aqueous phase is treated with an additional charge of calcium oxide to remove a substantial portion of the solids from the aqueous phase leaving waters that can be discharged as waste or recycled as process water.

Recovery of calcium fluoride from phosphate operation waste water

Metal ion impurities are removed from phosphoric acid by adding to the acid a precipitant comprising ions of calcium and fluorine to cause precipitation of a fluoride solid which contains ions of magnesium, and other metals (e.g., Al, N.sub.a) which were in the impure acid. A preferred precipitant comprises calcium fluoride, such as the sludge obtained by treating pond water from a phosphoric acid plant with calcium ions (e.g. lime and/or limestone).

Growing community of inventors

Lake City, FL, United States of America

Harold E Mills