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Organic reagents for removing heavy metals from a 10-34-0 (N-P2O5-K2O) grade fertilizer solution and wet-process phosphoric acid

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Abstract

Fertilizer solutions and wet-process phosphoric acid (WPA) contain heavy metal impurities such as cadmium, zinc, lead, copper, manganese, and chromium. Trisodium trithiocyanuric acid (TMT-15), sodium trithiocarbonate (5% Na2CS3), and sodium polythiocarbonate (Thio-Red II) were evaluated as precipitating agents for heavy metals in a 10-34-0 (N-P2O5-K2O) grade fertilizer solution and WPA. A water-insoluble starch xanthate was also evaluated as an adsorbent for the heavy metals in 10-34-0 (N-P2O5-K2O) and WPA. Arsenic (24−99+%), cadmium (36−97+%), copper (98+%), mercury (96+%), lead (83−88+%), and zinc (8−83+%) precipitated from 10-34-0 (N-P2O5-K2O) upon the addition of each organic reagent, while levels of manganese and chromium were unaffected. Mercury (97+%), lead (75+%), cadmium (11−38%), copper (99+%), and chromium (3−35%) precipitated from WPA upon the addition of 5% Na2CS3 and Thio-Red II, while precipitation of manganese and zinc was negligible. The water-insoluble starch xanthate adsorbed mercury (96+%), copper (38−98+%), and lead (24−75%) from 10-34-0 (N-P2O5-K2O) and WPA while adsorption of arsenic, cadmium, manganese, chromium, and zinc was negligible.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Chemical Research, Tennessee Valley Authority, National Fertilizer & Environmental Research Center, 35660, Muscle Shoals, AL, USA

    V. M. Norwood III & J. J. Kohler

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  1. V. M. Norwood III
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  2. J. J. Kohler
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Norwood, V.M., Kohler, J.J. Organic reagents for removing heavy metals from a 10-34-0 (N-P2O5-K2O) grade fertilizer solution and wet-process phosphoric acid. Fertilizer Research 26, 113–117 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01048749

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