Open AccessOptimizing the Performance of Pilot Vacuum Belt Filter (VBF) for P2O5 Reduction of Jordanian Phosphogypsum (PG)
Author(s) -
Mohammed Aliedeh
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
jordanian journal of engineering and chemical industries
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2617-720X
pISSN - 2616-9584
DOI - 10.48103/jjeci222019
Subject(s) - beneficiation , phosphogypsum , reuse , waste management , environmental science , process (computing) , process engineering , pulp and paper industry , engineering , materials science , computer science , metallurgy , chemistry , raw material , organic chemistry , operating system
Inventing new ways to recycle and reuse the accumulated byproducts is the most pressing and daunting challenge facingfuture process engineers. Millions of tonnes of Phosphogypsum (PG) is stacked in Jordan and worldwide every year.Numerous PG laboratory-scale beneficiation methods are already developed. This research is the first in moving PGBeneficiation methods from laboratory scale to pilot-scale using pilot Vacuum Belt Filter (VBF) to clean PG. In this research,VBF Pilot equipment is designed, constructed, troubleshooted and operated. This pilot study affirmed the difficulty incontrolling the process input parameters in pilot VBF when compared with batch filtration. Full factorial (23) experimental studyis conducted to study the effect of number of washings, number of passes, and acid concentration using sulfuric solutions onPG P2O5 content reduction. The three studied parameters showed a significant effect and their interaction was significant andcontribute significantly to a considerable reduction in PG P2O5 content. The Pilot VBF was successfully operated to achievean acceptable reduction of PG P2O5 content. In this novel pilot VBF research, numerous process insights were practicallygained that significantly helped in optimizing VBF performance in reducing P2O5 content in PG.