Partial acidulatión process and calcination of phosphate rock of Huila for new fertilizing products

Abstract

This research aimed at the development of new products with higher availability of phosphorus as a fertilizer through partial acidulation processes and calcination of phosphate rock from the mine Media Luna in the department of Huila, hence different experimental tests are performed. The variables in the experimental design for the process of partial acidulation of the phosphate rock were: degree of acidulation, rock particle size and reaction time. In the process of calcination for the fusion of the phosphorus rock, a flux variant (serpentine) was used at a temperature of 1200ORC. The characterization results show that the contents of total assimilated and soluble phosphorus of the phosphate rock have variation coefficients of 5.41%, 13.04% and 42.58% respectively due to the high heterogeneity of the material extracted in the mine and its management. The products of phosphate rock with a higher content of phosphorus that can be assimilated were treated with partial acidulation to 40% with sulfuric acid (H2SO4) with fractions that pass through a 100-mesh sieve and whose reaction lasts 20 minutes, thereby obtaining the maximum solubility. The reaction time of the acidulation process had no effect related to the content of phosphorus that was able to be assim­ilated. Calcination treatments of phosphate rock with and without serpentine, showed no significant difference in content of phosphorus that was able to be assimilated.