Ceramics-Silikáty 55 (4) 390-393 (2011)

ACCUMULATION OF ALKALIS IN THE RECYCLING FILTRATE OF THE PHOSPHOGYPSUM PULPS

A. Kaziliunas, M. Bacauskiene

Sodium and potassium combinations existing in phosphogypsum are highly soluble and remain in the filtrate, their amount increasing with each recycle. It has been determined that the amount of alkalis in the recycling filtrate depends on an amount of alkalis in uncleaned phosphogypsum, a number of recycles in the filtrate, the technology of the phosphogypsum pulp preparation and an amount of soluble phosphates. New phosphate formations composed in an acid medium (pH = 4.5-5) are well crystalized crystals. They do not alter the filtrability of the phosphogypsum pulp. The new combinations formed in an alkaline medium (pH = 7-11) are colloidal. They settle down on the surface of the hard particles and make the filtration of the phosphogypsum pulp complicated. The filtrated phosphogypsum is more humid which causes the growth of the amount of alkalis carried out together with moisture and thus the lower alkali concentration is observed in the recycling filtrate. In the discussed case, the larger amount of soluble phosphates of uncleaned phosphogypsum is formed the larger amount of the colloidal particles in the neutralized phosphogypsum pulp which results in complicated filtration. In all the cases, the alkali concentration in the recycling filtrate approaches the maximum degree which would take place if alkalis existing in uncleaned phosphogypsum were thawed in humidity of cleaned phosphogypsum.

Keywords: Phosphogypsum, Filtrate, Recycle, Alkalis