Method for preparing a suspension containing phosphate
The invention relates to a method for preparing a suspension containing phosphate stepwise directly from raw materials, from phosphoric acid of fertilizer quality, a base and organic additives. In accordance with the method, the phosphoric acid is preneutralised with the base, the organic additives are added, nucleation is controlled and phosphate salts are cooling crystallised in order to form a suspension. The phosphate suspension prepared with the method of the invention is applicable to seed coating.
1. A method for preparing a phosphate suspension wherein the phosphoric acid which is of fertilizer quality having 54-62% of P 2 O 5 containing <0.2% of fluorine and <0.1% of sulphate is preneutralized with a base, emulsifiable oil and sugar are added as organic additives, nucleation is controlled by adjusting the pH to 5.5-5.8 with a retention time in the range of 10-30 minutes at a temperature in the range of 40-60° C. using a base, and phosphate salts are cooling crystallized to form a suspension which is suitable for seed coating.
2. A method as defined in claim 1 , in which a mixture of potassium hydroxide and sodium hydroxide is added as the base in a molar ratio of KOH/NaOH=0.5-1.2.
3. A method as defined in claim 1 , in which phosphoric acid of fertilizer quality having 54-62% of P 2 O 5 used as the phosphoric acid.
4. A method as defined in claim 1 , in which, calculated on the total amounts of phosphate suspension, 1.5-8% of emulsifiable oil and 1.5-10% of sugar are added as organic additives.
5. A method as defined in claim 1 , in which preneutralization of phosphoric acid to pH 3-3.5 is conducted at a temperature in the range of 40-65° C.
6. A method as defined in claim 1 , in which the emulsifiable oil and the sugar are added to the preneutralized phosphoric acid during stirring for 5-30 minutes at a temperature in the range of 30-60° C.
7. A method as defined in claim 1 , in which the suspension is formed by cooling crystallizing the nucleated solution to a temperature in the range of 5-25° C. with a retention time of 0.5-3 hours.
8. A phosphate suspension suitable for use in seed coating obtained by the method of claim 1 , containing 10-14% of phosphor (P) in the form of acicular monopotassium phosphate crystals and having a pH in the range of 5.3-6, and a viscosity in the range of 300-2,000 cP at a temperature of 20° C.
9. A phosphate suspension of claim 8 , containing 5-30% of acicular monopotassium phosphate crystals, the needles having a width <30 μm and a ratio width/length <0.4.
10. A method as defined in claim 4 , using an emulsifiable white oil as the oil and saccharose as the sugar, the weight ratio of oil/sugar being 0.3-1.
11. A method as defined in claim 5 , in which preneutralization to pH 3.1 is performed as a continuous process with a retention time of 0.5-2 hours.
12. A method as defined in claim 7 , in which the phosphate suspension is produced by cooling crystallization of the nucleated solution from a temperature in the range of 40-60° C. to a temperature in the range of 15-20° C. with a retention time of 0.75-3 hours.
13. A method as defined in claim 12 , in which the crystallization is performed batchwise with rapid initial cooling from a temperature in the range of 40-60° C. to 30° C. in 0.25-1 hours and with slow final cooling from 30° C. to 15-20° C. in 0.5-2 hours.