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The FEECO Phosphates Processing Handbook
The FEECO Phosphates Processing Handbook
PHOSPHATES PROCESSING
HANDBOOK
INTRO
Introduction.....................................................................................................................................1
Intro to Phosphates............................................................................................................................... 3
PROCESSING
Processing Phosphates for Use in Fertilizer Products.....................................................................................5
EQUIPMENT
Phosphate Processing Equipment Overview..................................................................................................................11
CONSIDERATIONS
Phosphate Processing Challenges....................................................................................................................................20
OUTLOOK ON PHOSPHATES
Opportunities in Recycling Phosphorus.............................................................................................................................27
Additional Resources...........................................................................................................................................................29
Introduction
FEECO International was founded in 1951 as an engineering and equipment manufacturer. We quickly became
known as the material experts, able to solve all sorts of material processing and handling problems, and now
serve nearly every industry, from energy and agriculture, to mining and minerals.
As experts in the field of granulation, FEECO has been providing feasibility testing, process and product design,
and custom processing equipment for phosphate materials since the 1950s. From initial phosphate rock drying,
to animal feed and fertilizer granulation, we offer unparalleled capabilities in phosphate processing.
Many of the world’s top companies have come to rely on FEECO for the best in custom process equipment
For further information on our custom phosphate processing equipment and systems, or our many other
FEECO US Headquarters
3913 Algoma Rd. Green Bay, WI 54311, USA
Phone: (920)468.1000
Fax: (920)469.5110
FEECO.com/contact
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DISCLAIMER
FEECO is committed to publishing and maintaining this Handbook. As we continue to grow and evolve, information in this document is subject to change with-
out notice. FEECO does not make any representations or warranties (implied or otherwise) regarding the accuracy and completeness of this document and
shall in no event be liable for any loss of profit or any commercial damage, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damage.
Please note that some images may display equipment without the proper safety guards and precautions. This is for photographic purposes only and does not
represent how equipment should be properly and safely installed or operated. FEECO shall not be held liable for personal injuries.
Intro to
PHOSPHATES
AN INTRO TO PHOSPHATES
Phosphorus is an irreplaceable nutrient, utilized for its Before phosphate rock can be used in the production
life-giving capabilities to all life on Earth. Phosphorus of fertilizers or animal feed, however, it must first be
is critical to carrying out a variety of cellular and processed.
biological processes that help plants, animals, and
even humans to grow strong and healthy. As such, The following will look at the common processing
phosphorus is a key ingredient in fertilizers and methods used to produce phosphate fertilizer and
animal feeds. animal feed products.
1. U.S. Geological Survey, 2015, Mineral commodity summaries 2015: U.S. Geological Survey, 196 p., http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/70140094
No matter what product phosphate rock is destined for generations. Phosphorus assists in many biological
for, it must first be mined and beneficiated. processes that help to create strong stems and roots,
aid in resistance to disease, and create a more
Mined phosphate rock beneficiation differs greatly productive plant overall.
from one deposit to the next, with any combination of
crushing, screening, flotation, filtration, classification, While ground phosphate rock can be applied
and more carrying out the job. directly to soil, it is most beneficial to first process the
phosphate rock into a form that allows the phosphorus
The ore resulting from the beneficiation process to be more readily absorbed by plants.
must be dried before it can move on to subsequent
processing. This is typically carried out in a rotary Phosphate rock can be processed into a variety of
dryer, an industrial drying system ideal for processing phosphatic fertilizers. Most commonly, it is processed
phosphate ore, because of its heavy-duty build and into Monoammonium Phosphate and Diammonium
high capacity capabilities. Phosphate fertilizers, more commonly known as MAP
and DAP.
The dried phosphate ore is then most commonly
processed into phosphoric acid through reaction with MAP & DAP FERTILIZER PRODUCTION
sulfuric acid. Phosphoric acid is a versatile material MAP and DAP fertilizers are produced by reacting
and is the base of phosphatic fertilizers and phosphoric acid with ammonia and then granulating
animal feeds. the resulting material. This process is described here in
detail and illustrated on the next page.
PROCESSING PHOSPHATES FOR
USE IN FERTILIZER PRODUCTS The phosphoric acid and ammonia are pre-
Phosphates have been used in the fertilizer industry neutralized (reacted) in tanks to form a slurry. This slurry
is then fed into a rotary granulator, where it forms Cooling helps to prevent caking during storage, and is
granules as it tumbles through the drum and solidifies. necessary when material exiting the dryer is too hot for
subsequent material handling equipment.
These granules are then carried by a conveyor or
bucket elevator to a rotary dryer where they are dried AN ALTERNATIVE APPROACH TO
into their final form. The tumbling action of the dryer MAP GRANULATION
further rounds and polishes the granules. Granules While this is the primary processing method for MAP
exit the dryer and go through a screening process to production, an alternate process, which includes the
separate over- and under-size granules. addition of a pipe reactor, is sometimes used for the
energy savings it can offer. This method is illustrated
Over-size granules are crushed via a hammer mill on the following page.
and fed with the under-size granules back into the
process as recycle. On-size product moves on to Instead of being reacted in tanks, phosphoric acid
cooling, which is carried out using a rotary cooler. and ammonia are reacted in the pipe reactor.
The hot melt formed from this reaction is sparged to the operation. And while no operation requires the
into the rotary granulator and the resulting heat from use of a pipe reactor, in the right setting, it can offer
the reaction flashes off moisture from the granular significant value in energy savings.
material.
ADDITIONAL PHOSPHATIC FERTILIZERS
While a rotary dryer is still needed, energy While phosphate rock is most commonly made into
requirements are significantly reduced, because MAP and DAP, it can also be made into a variety of
the heat of the reaction can supplement much of other fertilizer products as well:
the drying energy required. Again, material is then
• Single Super Phosphate (SSP)
screened and recycle is separated out, while on-size
• Triple Super Phosphate (TSP)
product moves on to cooling.
• NPK (Although phosphate is not the base of
this product, it is included with potassium and
The addition of a pipe reactor can be a popular
nitrogen to create a variety of NPK blends.)
option for retrofits, because it is easily installed and
the pre-neutralizing tanks can serve as feeding tanks
storage. The FEECO granulation process described The FEECO approach to producing Monocalcium
here is illustrated above. Phosphate and Dicalcium Phosphate is an
improvement on the traditional approach, offering
BENEFITS OF THE increased product quality.
HIGH-SPEED MIXER APPROACH
The FEECO animal feed granulation process utilizing
a high-speed mixer offers significant value over the
traditional approach to animal feed granulation.
EQUIPMENT OVERVIEW As the material cools and solidifies, the tumbling action
The phosphate industry continues to gain attention rounds it into granules. Tumbler flights can be added
as of late, as the world begins to approach peak to increase material agitation and create the desired
Granulation drums are incredibly versatile and can production to mix the recycle with the new raw
therefore be used to process a wide array of materials. materials, and in animal feed production to thoroughly
They are used frequently throughout the agriculture mix, react, and granulate feed ingredients.
HOW GRANULATION DRUMS WORK Pug mills use a folding and kneading action to
In phosphatic fertilizer production, granulation drums thoroughly mix materials. In granular fertilizer
production, they make a homogeneous blend prior lifters, or flights, lift the material, carry it over, and drop
to entering the granulator. In animal feed production, it through the drying air stream in order to maximize
they facilitate the reaction between components. The heat transfer efficiency.
thorough mixing helps to ensure a uniform product.
FEECO ROTARY DRYERS AT A GLANCE
DIAMETER 3’ - 15’ (1 - 4.6m)
FEECO PUG MILLS AT A GLANCE
CAPACITY 1 TPH - 200 TPH+ (1 MTPH - 181 MTPH)
SIZE 14” - 78” (356 - 1,981mm)
CUSTOMIZABLE? Yes
CAPACITY 500 lb/hr - 250 TPH
CUSTOMIZABLE? Yes
ROTARY COOLERS
Rotary coolers are typically used in fertilizer
ROTARY DRYERS
granulation. A cooler is commonly used after the
Rotary dryers are used prolifically throughout the
drying step to cool material exiting the dryer.
phosphates industry—for drying phosphate rock, as
Cooling helps to bring down material temperature so
well as for drying granular animal feeds and fertilizer
it is not too hot for subsequent handling. It also helps to
products.
prevent caking issues during storage.
COATING DRUMS
Coating drums are sometimes used in the production
of MAP and DAP fertilizers. Coating drums coat
FEECO Hammer Mill granules with a material that improves the end
product in some way, typically by reducing dusting
HOW HAMMER MILLS WORK
issues, or employing an anti-caking agent.
Hammer mills use a spinning shaft affixed with
hammers and/or chains to break down over-size
HOW COATING DRUMS WORK
product. FEECO hammer mills avoid the use of a
Similar to rotary granulators, coating drums consist
grinding/pulverizing action.
of a rotating drum through which material is fed.
The material tumbles through the drum, and a spray
HIGH-SPEED MIXERS system releases the coating agent onto the material.
The high-speed mixer is unique to the FEECO
Tumbler flights help to increase agitation, ensuring
approach to animal feed granulation and is the most
uniform results.
efficient type of reactor/mixer on the market today.
The addition of a high-speed mixer to the pug mill
ROTARY KILNS
provides an improved reaction and a more uniform
Rotary kilns are similar to rotary dryers, but operate at
product.
much higher temperatures in order to cause a
Enhanced Product Quality: For both phosphatic airflow configuration, meaning that the material and
animal feeds and fertilizer products, drying can drying air flow in the same direction. When drying
offer an added benefit when dried in a rotary an animal feed or fertilizer product that has been
handling solution to be met Steep Incline Conveyors: Steep incline conveyors carry
for nearly any application. material vertically, or at an angle that is too steep for
horizontal transport.
BELT FEEDERS
Belt feeders ensure controlled feed rate from a bin
or hopper onto a conveyor or other piece of process
equipment. They are highly versatile and can be used
FEECO Troughed Belt Conveyor in Operation
in a variety of applications.
As we’ve already discussed, phosphates can present solutions are often added. The base of many
challenges during processing. However, careful phosphate products is phosphoric acid, which is a
planning and preparation of both the process and the highly corrosive material. Specialty alloys and linings
equipment can help to achieve desired results, while are often required on equipment to protect against
Depending on the form they’re in and what they’re sticking and clumping, causing issues in processing
being processed into, phosphates can be anywhere equipment and impacting overall process efficiency.
animal feed such as MCP or DCP, abrasiveness can can occur on the belt conveyors and chutes going
pose problems to unprotected equipment, and to the dryer, as well as on the walls and flights of the
therefore, equipment will need to be designed with dryer. For this reason, phosphate rotary dryers are
DUST ISSUES
Phosphate products can also be dusty, depending VARIABILITY
on what form they’re in. Dust issues are especially Phosphate deposits are incredibly diverse. Phosphate
problematic at phosphate beneficiation plants, where ore differs greatly from one deposit to the next,
mined phosphate rock is dried after processing. The and even within the same deposit. This can be a
phosphate rock becomes dusty upon drying, and fines challenge, because each deposit will likely require
are commonly collected in a baghouse. modifications to processing methods in order to
produce a quality product with the desired properties.
fines so they are more easily handled and processed Similar to variation, phosphate rock is sometimes
down the line. The agglomeration of fines significantly considered contaminated, meaning it is found in
reduces issues associated with dust, and also allows the presence of organics. This causes the phosphate
the product to be more easily reintroduced to rock to be low in value or even unusable as-is. In
the process. these cases, the phosphate rock will typically require
COMBATING PHOSPHATE CHALLENGES For example, critical wear points such as paddles
and plows on agglomeration equipment will likely
FEASIBILITY AND PILOT TESTING
require modifications to protect against abrasion and
It is often both necessary and desirable to conduct
corrosion. This might include constructing high wear
testing, whether it be to troubleshoot and improve
areas with abrasion-resistant materials, or reinforcing
an existing process, collect data for a new process,
them with specialty linings.
or to take a concept from idea to product. Testing
of phosphates at batch and pilot scale helps to work
PHOSPHATE PROCESS &
out process variables and provide the information
PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
necessary for successful process scale-up and
While phosphate production is a well-established
equipment design. These early testing stages allow
industry, testing remains a critical component in the
for a familiarity with the unique sample to be gained,
success of many phosphate operations.
helping to minimize surprises later.
1. Feasibility/Proof of Concept - An initial, non-witnessed batch testing Note: All equipment in the Innovation Center is
phase in which the possibility of creating a product is explored. equipped to handle phosphoric acid, allowing
a variety of phosphate products and process-
es to be tested, including fertilizer granulation,
2. Proof of Product - A more in-depth batch testing phase in which more animal feed granulation, and more.
time is spent determining whether a product can be made to desired
specifications. COMMONLY TESTED MATERIALS:
3. Proof of Process - A continuous testing phase that aims to establish - Phosphate Rock
the equipment setup and parameters required for continuous produc- - MAP/DAP
tion of your specific material. - MCP/DCP
- SSP/TSP
4. Process/Product Optimization - An in-depth study to optimize your
specific material’s characteristics and/or production parameters in an COMMONLY TESTED PROCESSES:
industrial setting. - Phosphate Ore Upgrading
- Animal Feed Granulation
- Fertilizer Granulation
3913 Algoma Rd. Green Bay, WI 54311, USA • Phone: (920)468.1000 • FEECO.com/contact
THE INNOVATION CENTER ADVANTAGE
PROCESS SCALE-UP:
Once the process configuration has been defined, FEECO can aid in
process scale-up, as well as manufacturing the equipment needed to
get the job done.
SCHEDULE A TEST
To discuss your testing needs with one of our process engineers and schedule a test, contact us today at:
FEECO.com/contact
3913 Algoma Rd. Green Bay, WI 54311, USA • Phone: (920)468.1000 • Fax: (920)469.5110 • FEECO.com/contact
OUTLOOK ON
PHOSPHATES
OPPORTUNITIES IN RECYCLING
OPPORTUNITIES IN One recent study looked at three primary phosphorus
WHY RECYCLE PHOSPHORUS? applied to corn production, one of the primary crops
Mineralogical phosphate reserves are a finite and produced in the United States.
concerned about food security and the survival available in existing waste streams could support the
of a world without this crucial mineral. This worry is annual phosphorus requirements of the U.S.
In 2008, a brief 800% spike in phosphate prices was readily available for plant uptake than that found
enough to cause riots and suicides in areas where in traditional fertilizer products, depending on the
access to fertilizer became unavailable.3 hygienization treatment, as well as the chemicals used
in the capture of phosphorus from waste sources.5
environment and the surrounding ecology. streams is a fairly new endeavor, and much research
is needed to work out the feasibility and logistics
However, many are beginning to recognize that of such a concept. Currently, various technologies
existing sources of phosphorus waste streams, for recovering phosphorus from such waste sources
particularly in the form of manure and wastewater, are being developed with success, some that may
may hold the key to ensuring an environmentally and even be more cost-effective than the processing of
world over.
And while more research is needed in both the
BOOKS
Phosphates and Phosphoric Acid: Raw Materials: Technology, and Economics of the Wet Process: 2nd
Edition (Fertilizer Science and Technology)
by Pierre Becker
ISBN-13: 978-0824779764
The choice to work with FEECO means a well-rounded commitment to quality. From initial feasibility testing, to
engineering, manufacturing, and parts and service, we bring our passion for quality into everything we do.
Innovation
The FEECO Innovation Center can
aid in everything from feasibility
testing, to process design and
product development.
+
Parts & Service
Engineering
Our Customer Service
We engineer custom
Team is ready to Since 1951 solutions to meet
serve, from routine
your unique needs.
maintenance,
to emergency
service.
Manufacturing
We manufacture the best
heavy-duty processing
equipment around.
3913 Algoma Rd. Green Bay, WI 54311, USA • Phone: (920)468.1000 • Fax: (920)469.5110 • FEECO.com/contact
FEECO.com/contact THE PHOSPHATES PROCESSING HANDBOOK | 30
For more information on processing phosphates, material testing,
or custom equipment, contact FEECO International today!
US Headquarters
3913 Algoma Road | Green Bay, WI 54311 USA
Phone: 920-468-1000
FEECO.com/contact