Tag: Phosphate Rock

Fertilizer International presents a global round-up of phosphate rock, phosphoric acid and finished phosphates projects.

Brazil is a powerhouse agricultural economy, ranking as a top three global exporter of soybeans, corn and sugar. It is also the world’s number one producer and exporter of oranges and orange juice – as highlighted in our current issue (p18).

The cadmium and heavy metal content of sedimentary phosphates are of great concern. This has seen industry raw material consumption shift towards igneous phosphates or the blending of phosphate rocks from different sources. While rock blending can successfully reduce the heavy metal content of superphosphates, it needs to be accompanied by careful process adjustments, as Ian Hancock , Bradley Pulverizer’s vice president sales & operations, explains.

While phosphate fertilizer production represents the main slice of demand for elemental sulphur and sulphuric acid, sulphur fertilizers continue to be a growing sector of demand due to changes in the way that we use sulphur.

Ammonia production at Billingham in Teesside looks set to end, bringing to a close a history of production that dates back almost a century.

Leading companies such as Ballestra, Buss ChemTech, Elessent Clean Technologies (MECS) and Prayon Technologies are working together to solve the numerous production challenges facing the operators of integrated phosphate fertilizer production plants.

Despite being an age-old industry, the phosphate sector remains vibrant and driven by a passionate commitment to leaving behind a sustainable world for future generations. Tibaut Theys, general manager of Prayon Technologies, explains how the industry, by implementing more efficient production processes and promoting responsible fertilizer usage, is working urgently to reduce CO2 emissions, as well as striving to minimise its environmental footprint.

In this review article, Hatch’s Jayden Ladebruk, Lyndsay Tran, Amelia Parrenin, and Edward DeRose outline the wide range of phosphoric acid production technologies, and discuss how industry challenges are influencing the choice of phosphoric acid process.

The first global review of phosphate rock resources since 2010 has reported that technically recoverable reserves should last for more than 300 years.

More than 370 delegates from over 160 companies and 40 countries gathered at the Hilton Bomonti Hotel, Istanbul, Turkey, 27 February to 1 March, for CRU’s Phosphates 2023 conference.