Removal of aluminum contamination during production of phosphoric acid

摘要

This invention provides a method for removing aluminum contamination from phosphoric acid during the acidulation of phosphate rock with sulfuric acid in the presence of recycled phosphoric acid. The method of this invention involves the addition of acid soluble silica to the acidulation slurry and calls for maintaining the molar ratio of non-fluosilicate fluoride (i.e. fluoride not complexed with silica) to aluminum in the liquid phase of the acidulation slurry between 2.5 and 5.0. These conditions favor the precipitation of aluminum as calcium tetrafluoaluminate dihydrate and enable the co-removal of this compound by filtration with by-product gypsum. This invention is particularily suitable for the processing of phosphate rocks with high iron and aluminum contents, such as the nonsedimentary phosphate rocks occurring in Sri Lanka.