Abstract
During the production of phosphoric acid from phosphate ore and sulfuric acid, large amounts of calcium sulfate are formed, in which impurities from the feedstock are incorporated. To use the calcium sulfate in, for example, the building industry, a lower concentration of impurities is desired. Mercury, copper, lead, and cadmium were extracted from clear industrial recrystallization acid (0.8-3.9 mol/kg H sub 3 PO sub 4 , 0.2-0.5 mol/kg H sub 2 SO sub 4 ) by supported solvent extraction with the extracting agent Cyanex 302 in kerosene in a transverse flow hollow fiber module. The permeability for the mercury ion was 1.4010 exp -6 m/s, whereas that for the Cu ion was calcualted to be 1.510 exp -6 m/s. Cadmium, lead, and Cu were extracted during the recrystallization of calcium sulfate hemihydrate to dihydrate, an existing step within the phosphoric acid production process, by solvent extraction with the same extracting agent. The concentrations of Cd and zinc in the newly formed calcium sulfate were proven to be decreased. Unfortunately, concentrations of mercury and lead were too low for analysis. Graphs., 3 ref.