On the Modelling of Phosphate Rock Acidulation Process

Abstract

Wet process phosphoric acid (WPPA) is produced by reacting sulfuric acid with phosphate rock. The slurry reactor is the heart of the production unit. For various reasons, however, phosporic acid reactor technology still uses many different designs. It is not the objective of this paper to describe different systems, but to analyze the different chemical phases with emphasis on the kinetics of acidulation, nucleation and growth of gypsum crystals, and present an overview of different models that describe these processes. In addition, the roles of these important aspects in the design of different operations are indicated.