One of four volumes which provides a good understanding of the mode of occurrence, geological setting and phosphogenesis of the world's phosphate resources.
Beneficiation of Phosphate Ore examines various methods for processing phosphate rock, an important mineral commodity used in the production of phosphoric acid. The majority of phosphoric acid is produced by the wet process, in which phosphate rock is reacted with sulfuric acid to produce phosphoric acid and gypsum (calcium sulfate dihydrate). This wet process demands a phosphate rock feed that meets certain specifications to produce phosphoric acid efficiently and economically. Beneficiation of Phosphate Ore thoroughly explains the methods used in beneficiation of different types of phosphate ores for use in the wet process. The mineralogical properties of the two major types of phosphate deposits, sedimentary and igneous, are described along with the processing methods. The benefits and disadvantages of each process are discussed in detail.
Marine phosphorites, the principal raw material for phosphatic fertilizers, do not occur uniformly through time and space. The origin of these unusual sedimentary rocks appears to be related mainly to marine biological productivity, often associated with upwelling currents during certain intervals of geological time. This book examines the environmental setting and resulting phosphorites which formed during the Miocene, one of the major and most recent phosphogenic periods throughout the geologic record. In addition, an oceanographic perspective is given by investigations of modern oceanic environments where phosphorites are presently forming. Together, the geologic and marine approaches provide a complete outlook on this important mineral resource. This book is the third of four reference volumes which together cover the achievements of the International Geological Correlation Programme Project 156 (Phosphorites) during the ten years of the project's existence.
The extraction of apatite minerals is becoming more and more crucial with the depletion of high-grade ores. At the same time, many streams of waste are continuously being produced by the phosphate industry, including calcareous and siliceous waste rocks, clayey sludge and phosphogypsum. These waste products are produced in huge volumes reaching a ratio of between 5 to 10 tons of waste per each ton of concentrated phosphate. The management of these waste products is becoming a real issue in terms of growing public awareness and environmental and financial aspects. In addition, phosphate ores are known to contain other critical raw materials (CRM) such as rare earth elements and uranium. The recovery of these vital elements from phosphate waste may help to develop the needs of the green energy of the future and contribute to the achievement of the sustainable development goals. In this Special Issue, insights related to the following aspects were studied: phosphate extraction and beneficiation, novel phosphate ores, the fine characterization of phosphate ores and waste, phosphoric acid production, critical raw material (CRM) recovery from phosphate ores and waste, reprocessing of phosphate wastes and finally the valorization and reuse of phosphate waste and phosphogypsum.