Grantee Research Project Results
High-Speed Recycling Process for Phosphate Industry Waste
EPA Contract Number: 68D00057Title: High-Speed Recycling Process for Phosphate Industry Waste
Investigators: Laird, Douglas H.
Small Business: Science Ventures Inc.
EPA Contact: Richards, April
Phase: II
Project Period: September 1, 1990 through November 1, 1992
Project Amount: $149,007
RFA: Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) - Phase II (1990) Recipients Lists
Research Category: SBIR - Pollution Prevention , Pollution Prevention/Sustainable Development , Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)
Description:
As a by-product of U.S. phosphate fertilizer production, 43 million tons/year of waste phosphogypsum are produced. Sulfur costing phosphate producers oer $800 million/year is locked in this phosphogypsum waste, which is dumped on land.Science Ventures has been experimenting with a new high- speed chemical process to solve this major economic and environmental problem. The FLASC process vould recycle the sulfur as concentrated SO2, and reduce the solid residue to environmentally benign glassy slag that may be useable as aggregate in concrete.
The FLASC process sprays gypsum together with smaller amounts of coal and other solids into a high-temperature flame. Sulfur dioxide is released and the condensed residue melts and drains from the reactor. Consideration is complete in seconds, compared to an hour or so with older sulfur recycling processes, giving this concept economic advan- tages.
A small pilot plant has just been completed with joint EPA/ SBIR and Florida State funding. Phase II would use the new equipment in a test program to study technical and eco- nomic feasibility, and to collect engineering data for scale up.
Supplemental Keywords:
Sustainable Industry/Business, RFA, Scientific Discipline, Waste, Hazardous, Chemical Engineering, Engineering, chemical mixtures, Environmental Chemistry, Chemistry and Materials Science, Hazardous Waste, cleaner production/pollution prevention, Environmental Engineering, recycled waste products, clean technology, phosphogypsum, hazardous waste disposal, industrial waste, pollution prevention, hazardous waste treatment, environmentally conscious manufacturing, sulfur, chemical waste, complex mixtures, phosphate industry, high speed recycling, cleaner production, sulfur recovery, fertilizer production, chemical releasesProgress and Final Reports:
The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.