Adamson University

College of Engineering
Chemical Engineering Department

A Written Report of The Air Pollution Control Technologies in the Manufacture

of Single Superphosphate (SSP) Fertilizer

Group # 1

201811579 - Bergonia, Venus L.

201811678 - Bondoc Mherie Maika S.

201811679 - Cheng Alver F.

201814889 - Jaravata, Almira Lea Victoria S.

201811614 - Lapuz, Patricia Mae E.

Date of Submission: May 23, 2021

ENGR. JERRY OLAY

Instructor
 Table of Contents

i. Manufacturing Process ……………………………………………………………… pg. 2

Introduction ………………………………………………………………………….... pg. 2

Raw Materials ……………………………………………………………………….... pg. 2

The Manufacture of Superphosphate fertilizer ……………………………………….. pg. 3

ii. Air Pollutants ………………………………………………………………………. pg. 4

iii. Manufacturing Process Diagram of Superphosphate Fertilizer……………………. pg. 5

General Diagram of Single Superphosphate Production …………………………….... pg. 5

Process Flow Diagram of the Superphosphate Plant ………………………………….. pg. 6

Four Major Operations ………………………………………………………………… pg. 6

iv. Air Pollution Control Technologies ………………………………………………... pg. 11

MAX3™ - BREAKTHROUGH SULFURIC ACID TECHNOLOGY ……………..... pg. 12

v. Individual Learning Insight …………………………………………………………. pg. 15

vi. References ………………………………………………………………………..... pg. 18

Screen grab of Company Website……………………………………………………… pg. 19

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 I. Manufacturing Process of Single Superphosphate Fertilizer

Introduction

The total land available on earth is estimated to have 57, 308, 738 square miles wherein
33% of it is desert and about 24% is mountain. Subtracting the uninhabitable area, we only get
24, 642, 757 square miles or 15.77 billion of habitable land. On the other hand, the population all
over the world has been growing rapidly in years. In the 1700, approximately 500 million people
were living here on Earth. In the year 2000, the population reached 6 billion and in the year
2100, the population is estimated to reach 11 billion. Due to the overpopulation, the growing
demand for food supply has put the farmers in challenge as the same ratio of land at 30% to
water at 70% has to suffice for the growing population. In the early ages, people migrate when
soil depletes quality making it unavailable to yield crops and plants. As of today, the global
innovation has helped create an easier farming for farmers as they can stay on their land and
make use of the fertilizer to put on their agricultural land to be treated intensively and be able to
yield good crops and plants every year in order to supply the needs of the people. However, the
complex production of fertilizer faces great challenges as it produces air pollution that can harm
the environment in return. To minimize this, efficient engineering is performed to ensure that the
plant is designed to be able to control the process and manage the quality of the product.

Raw Materials

Fertilizer can be produced with raw materials such as rock phosphate and sulfuric acid.
Sulfuric acid is known as the most produced chemical as it can be used in a wide selection of
different fields such as in chemical, petrochemical, and fertilizer industries. Its appearance has a
similarity in water which is found to be a colourless liquid and is made up of sulphur, oxygen
and hydrogen. In order to produce a sulfuric acid, it undergoes a three step process which is the
production of sulfur dioxide, where sulfur is melted and filtered; then converting it into sulfur
trioxide which is reacted with oxygen; and the absorption of SO3 to form sulfuric acid. While
superphosphate is found to be the first chemical fertilizer which is produced by treatment with
sulfuric acid and also manufactured into a three step process. The Phosphate rock blending and
grinding, Superphosphate manufacture and Granulation.

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The Manufacture of Superphosphate Fertilizer

The summarized manufacturing operation of the plant undergoes the processes wherein
finely divided phosphate rocks with ideal quality standards that have iron oxide and aluminum
oxide not going above 5% in the rock phosphate are added into the plant to be treated with a
regulated quantity of diluted sulfuric acid at the percentage concentration of 60% to 75%. In the
wet-process the isolated phosphate is mixed with sulfuric acid. A reaction of the acid with the
various components of the rock is allowed to proceed in the mixing vessel for about 30 minutes.

The reaction of insoluble phosphate rock with sulfuric acid to produce soluble calcium
di-hydrogen phosphate, Ca(H2PO4)2, is the basic reaction in the production of superphosphate.
The following equation explains this:

3− − 2−
𝑃𝑂4 + 𝐻2𝑆𝑂4 → 𝐻2𝑃𝑂4 − + 𝑆𝑂4

The sulfuric acid is usually absorbed in the first portion of the mixer, producing Phosphoric
Acid, which interacts with the remaining phosphate rock to form Calcium Di-Hydrogen
Orthophosphate and other types of Phosphate, depending on the levels of contaminants such as
Iron and Aluminum. The reactions that take place during the preparation of superphosphate are
complicated, but they can be summarized as follows:

1. 𝐶𝑎5(𝑃𝑂4)3𝐹 + 5𝐻2𝑆𝑂4 → 5𝐶𝑎5𝑆𝑂4 + 3𝐻3𝑃𝑂4 + 𝐻𝐹

2. 𝐶𝑎5(𝑃𝑂4)3𝐹 + 7𝐻3𝑃𝑂4 + 5𝐻2𝑂 → 5𝐶𝑎(𝐻2𝑃𝑂4)2 3𝐻2𝑂 + 𝐻𝐹

After mixing the substances the product is then transferred to the den for completing the reaction.
The process is followed by curing and then granulated by feeding the cured superphosphate into
the clod breaker and is sent into the rotary drum granulator to be mixed with steam, water and
acid which aids the granulation process. Finally, it is dried, cooled and screened to specification
and bagged from the hopper making it ready for shipment. The Single superphosphate has a total
phosphorus content of 9% comprising. 30% Ca(H2PO4)' 10% CaHPO~ water soluble, 45%
CaSO~ citrate soluble ,10% Iron and Aluminium oxides, and 5% Water.

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II. Types of Air Pollutants

a. Sulfur dioxide - This pollutant is known to be a heavy and poisonous gas which is
produced when sulfur is burned in air.
b. Phosphate dust - Since grinding and blending of phosphate rocks are needed, the
potential environmental hazard of these are the phosphate dust which is found to
be extremely poisonous. This spontaneously ignites on contact with air which
produces toxic fumes and reacts violently with oxidants, sulfur and other
compounds that can cause a fire and explosion hazard.
c. Gaseous hydrofluosilicic acid - This chemical is considered as dangerous as it can
release hydrogen fluoride when it evaporates. It is created when a phosphoric rock
was taken from the ground and converted into a soluble fertilizer.
d. Fluoride emissions - This type of pollutant is toxic in the environment and most
especially in plants as it is exposing them to hydrogen fluoride gases. The higher
the emission fluoride levels in plants, hence the degree of damage in vegetations.

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III. Manufacturing Process diagram of Single Superphosphate Fertilizer

Figure III.1 - General Diagram of Single Superphosphate Production

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 Figure III.2 - Process Flow Diagram of the Superphosphate Plant

This plant design was utilized by Farmers Fertiliser Limited plant at New Plymouth, a subsidiary
of Fernz Corporation Ltd.

In the production of superphosphate fertilizer, the plant undergoes the four major operations:

The Ground Rock Receival, Storage and Recycle System

The rock phosphates mined are placed into the semi trailers road bin as a feed to the rock
storage bin at a certain rate depending on the tonne capacity per hour of the system. As the
ground rock is unloaded into the rock bin, it supplies the weigher an excess to the demand to
ensure that the feed from the weigher is constant. The excess ground rock in the weigher is
delivered to the surge bin baghouse for recycling back to the rock bin.

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 Figure III.3 Ground Rock Storage Bin and Recycle

The Mixer and Den Operation

At the weigher, the MCR controls the rate at which ground rock is supplied. The rate
range is constrained by the use of product codes with defined minimum and maximum flow
inputs. To maximize weigher activity, a manual gate on the feed box to the weigher is set at the
start of each rate change and it delivers the ground rock into the pre-mixer and mixer drives.The
sulfuric acid is supplied at a controlled rate and is set by applying the acid/rock ratio to the
weigher output.

In the premixer, a wet process occurs when the ground rock is diluted with liquor scrubber in
order to decrease the acidic concentration of sulfuric acid when it comes to contact in the mixer
operation. The ground rock and sulfuric acid is continually being mixed with kneading paddles
until it reacts to become slurry. The reaction with the mixture is exothermic which produces
gases such as 𝐻𝐹, 𝑆𝑖𝐹4 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐶𝑂2. The gases produced in the mixer, as well as the gases produced in

the den, are suctioned and vented to the scrubbers.

The den operation holds the slurry mixture to give it more time in completing its reaction and
expand to consume most of the phosphoric acid. when it is dry enough and the total liquid prase
is optimum for granulation, the cake leaving the den is delivered to the cutter down to the
granulation system.

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 Figure III.4 Mixer and Broadfield Den Operation

The Granulation Process and Final Product Storage

The primary disinfection reduces the den cake material into a fine particle size less than
1mm and some energy is put in the material in preparation for granulation. The efficiency of the
disintegrator is controlled by the pressure in the air bag that controls the pressure of the
disintegrator rotor against the nip rotor to a 100 amperes set point. The granulator which has 4.3
meter in diameter makes the granules denser that gives better abrasion resistance. An atomizing
spray is then used to allow general wetting of the product that brings the moisture level up to the
optimum for granulation.

Undersize product from the primary screen is being monitored by the weigher and being recycled
in the splitter chute. The splitter operation is controlled automatically to obtain a steady 300 tph
of product recycling around the granulation circuit. The splitter chute stabilizes variations in the
circuit,while the +5 mm granules are removed by the polishing screen or the secondary screen

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and are monitored by the weigher. The screen efficiency is 60 to 70% with a screen gap of 5mm
with an effective size cut of 6mm.

The product leaving the plant is sampled by an automatic sampler & the sample obtained
reduced in size using a sample splitter. The remaining sample is then divided into one sample for
local sizing analysis & one for complete analysis. The products for complete analysis are
conveyed to storage sheds where they are allowed to mature chemically. During this time most of
the remaining phosphoric acid is consumed as it reacts with the unreacted phosphate rock.
Dispatch requires a phosphoric acid level of less than 1.0 %. The dust & +6mm products are
conveyed back to the recycle heap for reprocessing. The product is sampled at dispatch & sent to
the Kooragang Island laboratory for complete analysis.

Figure III.5 Granulating Operation

The Air Scrubber Systems.

SPEC-51-001A or the specification sets out the acceptable operating conditions in the
scrubbers. The Fluoride scrubber converts fluoride into Fluorosilicic acid in the first 4 passes &
is then consumed as process liquor in the mixer. Silica is precipitated during the first three passes
& is kept in suspension using high volume Warman centrifugal pumps and the remaining 𝑆𝑖𝐹4 is

scrubbed out by the alkaline at the last two passes. while the odor scrubber removes the odorants
from the gas stream with the alkaline liquor & the oxidant and converts the odorous sulphides to

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sulphates. Alkalinity is maintained by a pH control system dosing 50 % Sodium Hydroxide in
the passes 5& 6. Oxidant level is controlled by ORP probes. The system is flushed by water
additions to pass 6. Liquor flow is counter-current to the gas flow by pump tanks overflowing to
the preceding pump tank.

The scrubbers are operated according to a strict set of specifications with alarms when the units
operate outside their limits for more than 5 minutes. The specifications have been developed
from operating experience backed up by olfactometry & specialized gas analysis using mass
spectrophotometry. The converted fluorosilicic acid is then prepared and stored in a plant. and
the Fluorosilicic acid is exported under consideration & this plant would be controlled by the
control system. The plant will then remove the recycled acid from the fluoride scrubber and
bring it back to the process.

Figure III.6 Air Scrubber Systems

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IV. Air Pollution Control Technologies

Pollution prevention is the use of any processes, practices, materials, products, energy,
etc. that avoids or minimizes the creation of pollutants or wastes at the source as a preferred
approach over end-of-pipe treatment. With less pollution produced, there are fewer hazards
posed to public health and/or the environment. Pollution prevention is reflected in the selection
of appropriate air pollution emission control technology. This choice depends upon the pollutant
to be removed and the control efficiency required. It also inherently recognizes it is more cost
effective and simpler to design emission control equipment into production equipment at the
time of initial construction than it is to engage in future retrofits.

Control measures for industrial facilities include adequate, well-designed, well-installed,

efficiently operated and maintained air cleaning devices, also called separators or collectors. A
separator or collector can be defined as an “apparatus for separating any one or more of the
following from a gaseous medium in which they are suspended or mixed: solid particles (filter
and dust separators), liquid particles (filter and droplet separator) and gases (gas purifier)”. The
basic types of air pollution control equipment (discussed further in “Air pollution control”) are
the following:

Cyclone - Cyclone is generally used with scrubbers and is estimated to be 60% efficient in
removing dry particulate matters from the gaseous emissions. This is typically employed for
filtration applications of particulates ≥50 μm in diameter.

Electrostatic precipitators (ESPs)- like air filters and cyclones, are air pollution control devices
used to collect and remove particulate matter, such as dust, from industrial emissions and
exhaust. ESPs employ transformers to create a high static electrical potential difference between
charging electrodes and collecting plates. As gas streams pass between the two components, an
electrical charge is introduced to the particulates, which attracts the particulate matter to the
collecting plates. Similarly to air filters, PM accumulation is periodically removed from the
collecting plates and deposited in a collection hopper below, either through mechanically
dislodging the particulates or by introducing water to clean off the particulates. ESPs which
employ the latter method are known as wet ESPs. As ESPs typically have multiple collection
plates, their efficiencies often exceed 99%.

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Scrubbers - As a treatment technology in order to remove fluorides and acid from air emission,
scrubber is used and is normally recycled to the process. Scrubbers vary from medium efficiency
(85% efficient) to high efficiency (99% efficient) with the use of water or phosphoric acid
solution in order to recover the gaseous emissions. The ability of the scrubber to treat numerous
gas contaminants makes it possible to become the most-efficient method as it can separate
concentrations, and operate as an independent scrubber with its liquid-to-gas ratio.

Baghouse - This control device is typically used in collecting dust particles in hot and dry
processes. This type of filter technology is one of the oldest and most common equipment in
terms of removing particulate matter. Since the manufacturing process requires grinding and
blending, this causes phosphate rocks to produce dust which can be collected in installed filter
bags.

MAX3™ - BREAKTHROUGH SULFURIC ACID TECHNOLOGY

After years of searching for cost-effective solutions to reduce sulfuric acid plant
emissions, many members of the sulfur and sulfuric acid industries have still not found the
system that best meets their needs. Most companies seek to balance their choice of appropriate
technology with maintaining equipment integrity and exercising strong operational discipline.
The ideal solution would reduce operating costs, maximize energy recovery and improve
emissions, which is exactly what the highly efficient MECS® MAX3™ single absorption
sulfuric acid plant process sets out to do.

The proprietary MECS® MAX3™ sulfuric acid plant technology simplifies the conventional
sulfuric acid plant flow scheme by combining a single absorption Heat Recovery System
(HRS™) plant with MECS® SolvR® regenerative SO2 scrubbing technology, thereby
eliminating equipment, cutting costs and increasing efficiency. SolvR® regenerative SO2
scrubbing technology utilizes the same principles as MECS®’ proven ClausMaster™ technology
, but with an improved solvent that reduces cost and increases efficiency. In this way, sulfuric
acid plants not only save on water consumption, time and money, but can also recover more
energy while achieving best-in-class emission levels.

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The different, commonly available sulfuric acid plant designs all have their own relative merits
and drawbacks. The revolutionary differences and benefits offered by a fully integrated single
absorption MAX3™ flow scheme are clearly shown in the diagram below.

MAX3™ KEY ADVANTAGES

• High pressure steam ≥1.5 ton steam / ton acid at 45 barg, 400° C

• Intermediate pressure steam ≈0.3 ton steam / ton acid at 10 barg saturated

• Reduced SO2 emissions to < 20 ppmv

• Reduced or maintained cooling water use equivalent to a double absorption HRS™ design

• Reduced power use ~10% compared to a double absorption plant

• Reduced caustic / chemical use by ~50% compared to a double absorption plant with a tailgas
scrubber (or by 95% compared to a single absorption plant with a tailgas scrubber)

• Reduced or maintained overall capital cost compared to a double absorption HRS™ design
with a tail gas scrubber to meet low SO2 emissions

• Reduced field construction time due to modular supply of the SolvR® system

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V. Individual Learning Insights

The following insights written below are individual learnings of each group member in the
selected field of study which in this case is the Fertilizer Industry.

Venus Bergonia

Agrochemicals are used world-wide to improve or protect crops and livestock. Fertilisers are
applied to obtain good yields from crops that are protected from insects and disease by the
timely use of pesticides.The primary objective of this industry is to ensure the inflow of both
primary and secondary elements required in the crop/agriculture industry. However, fertilizer
production has a significant environmental impact due to atmospheric emission from its
production operation. The main environmental impacts associated with fertilizer use have been
linked to nitrate leaching into groundwater, emission of greenhouse gases (nitrous oxides),
soils polluted with toxic heavy metals, and surface runoff of N and P nutrients causing aquatic
eutrophication. If managed properly, fertilizers and animal manures benefit crop production
without causing environmental problems. In any management scenario, the manager must be
aware of the possible negative consequences of mismanagement.
As a chemical engineering student whose course study is practically involved in production of
raw materials into commercialized products it is important to gain basic knowledge in some
parts of the production industry. Safety and health in the use of agrochemicals should be the
primary concern of the government and all the sectors involved in these industries.

Mherie Maika Bondoc

Fertilizers are considered as one of the useful products in obtaining good production of crops
and plants as it also becomes the way in sustaining the needs of the people in the agricultural
industry. Having its own benefits, its own manufacturing production releases a huge
environmental impact as it produces different gaseous emissions that can be harmful in the
human health, aquatic life, microbes and plants. With the use of this written report, we were
able to determine and understand the different uses of control devices that are able to prevent,
and reduce the toxic emissions made by the production. Moreover, we were able to study the
processes, and as well as the compositions of the said chemicals on how they react in our
surroundings. Though this production contains hazardous effects, it is undoubtedly useful in
making the earth sustainable. Using the collected backgrounds on the superphosphate process,
wet scrubber is found to be the most-efficient in terms of collection particulate matters as it is
known as cost-effective and versatile pollution control technology that is able to eliminate 99%
of toxic contaminants. Lastly, a complete set of knowledge in terms of the raw materials used
will help us to manage the concerns and main sectors involved in producing this type of
product. We may not be able to completely remove the harmful chemicals produced during the
process, still, we are able to fight and reduce it with the use of our growing technologies in
different industries.

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Alver Cheng

Fertilizers, a chemical substance used daily by farmers to promote the growth and productivity
of crops, are mainly used to provide the nutrients needed by crops to yield a good result of
crops production, such as vegetables and fruits. fertilizers were first used dating back to 8000
years ago, where early farmers were using manure as a fertilizer. As time goes by there have
been numerous breakthroughs in the agriculture industry, there have been many different kinds
of fertilizer. However as fertilizer have a good effects on crops production, as fertilizers are
booming, such as the negative impact of fertilizer in the environment, fertilizers emits
greenhouse gases that are harmful to the environment and also to human life, it has a chain
effect as it emits greenhouse gases it contributes to global warming which affects every life on
Earth. A suitable control device for greenhouse gases emitted by such manufacturing of
fertilizer is wet scrubbers, it works by removing air pollutants from an air stream and bringing
it in contact with a scrubbing liquid which is most of the time, water. The scrubber's capacity
to handle a variety of gas impurities allows it to become the most efficient approach since it
can segregate concentrations and act as a standalone scrubber due to its liquid-to-gas ratio.

Almira Lea Victoria Jaravata

Single Superphosphate has gone through a lot of processes before it was produced in
agricultural manufacturing. It is processed with the use of different machines with different
functions. Single Superphosphate is produced by reacting naturally occurring phosphate rock
with sulphuric acid. This process converts insoluble phosphates into forms more readily
available to plants. The product is a low cost source of phosphorus and sulphur in a wide range
of pasture situations. SSP is a traditional product for supplying phosphorus and sulphur to
crops, the main two nutrients required for pasture production. The raw materials used in this
production have been approved and tested however, it still can cause air to be polluted when
reaction to wrong elements/chemicals. However, the manufacturers make sure that their
working area is safe for the laborers so they use high quality technologies to prevent and
control air pollution inside and outside the working area even if their product has been used as
a traditional fertilizer.
Since I've been studying chemical engineering, this kind of research gives me an idea on what
is happening in the industry I want to work in. It also shows us how bright and useful
technology is in protecting and maintaining the environment from being polluted.

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Patricia Mae Lapuz

The manufacturing of Single superphosphates is simpler compared to other kinds of fertilizer.

However, the quality and certain standard of raw materials must be properly examined in order
to operate the plant properly. The raw materials and finished goods are all put through a set of
physical and chemical testing to ensure that they follow the previously established
requirements. For example, the size of ground rocks at micron must be approximately 75%
less than 75 microns so the proportions may change and the desired composition may be
achieved. The composition of the rock phosphate must also have no more than 5% of iron
oxide and aluminum oxide impurity as it can affect the slurry in the mixture creating a too dry
and hard to mix composition. The feed rates also depend on the ratio being put into the feed as
the reaction between the ground rock and sulfuric acid creates an exothermic reaction and
releases phosphoric acid which can be sold as it is already because it can be useful for
production of other fertilizer or continue in its manufacture. The operation requires pollution
control because there are harmful chemicals released during reaction and throughout the
process so the plant should be efficient in recycling waste products . In the written report, we
have selected that the baghouse is helpful in containing air pollution coming from particulate
matters and dust released from the bin. In the wet process, the treatment of ground rock with
sulfuric acid will be aided by a wet scrubber to control air pollutants such as particulate
matters and fluoride emissions because it uses a spray liquid to collect the gaseous pollutants.

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VI. References

Biofertilizers in Agriculture & Forestry. IBH, (1993) Retrieved from:

http://www.madehow.com/Volume-3/Fertilizer.html#ixzz6vgZAlzWB

Industrial Chemistry. Ellis Horwood, (1990) Retrieved from:

http://www.madehow.com/Volume-3/Fertilizer.html#ixzz6vgZAlzWB

Fertilizer Technology. John Wiley and Sons, (1989). Retrieved from:

http://www.madehow.com/Volume-3/Fertilizer.html#ixzz6vgZAlzWB

Economic and political stability- great advantage of Vietnam. (2021, May 19). Retrieved from:
http://vietnamembassy-usa.org/relations/economic-and-polical-stability-great-advantage-vietnam

Emission Factor (1995). retrieved from: AP-42, CH 8.5.1: Normal Superphosphates (epa.gov)

Phosphate Fertilizer A- Industrial wastes. (2020,December 05). Retrieved from:

https://www.climate-policy-watcher.org/industrial-wastes/phosphate-fertilizer-a.html

SSP_Process_Description. http://www.usedplants.com/pdf/SSP_Process_Description.pdf

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Farmers Fertiliser Limited plant at New Plymouth, a subsidiary of Fernz Corporation Ltd.

Screen Grab of Company Website:

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