One of the significant challenges facing the industry – especially across the fields of mineral extraction, production, and manufacturing – is lowering carbon footprint.
Leading chemical companies like ICL are light years ahead of the old stereotypes that used to apply to heavy industry as a whole.The innovative phosphate recycling unit is a flagship example of the commitment to fostering a functioning circular economy and sustainable practices across global operations.
Phosphate recycling is an excellent example of sustainable innovation due to the vital role that phosphate and its derivatives play in key industrial, manufacturing, and agricultural processes. Phosphates are essential to life, and companies such as ICL Group are leading the way in managing this core finite resource.
What is Phosphate Rock?
Phosphate is a mineral that is essential for life and occurs naturally in soils, underground, overground, or even under the sea. It occurs as phosphate rocks and ores in deposits around the world and contains phosphorus in oxide forms. Phosphate can come from a sedimentary or igneous rock that is mined at various locations around the world.
It usually occurs as calcium phosphate and is derived from ancient organic materials. It is these materials that give phosphates their NPK (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium) value and make them ideal for fertilizer production.
Phosphate rock occurs in several other countries around the world. The US, China, Morocco, and Russia are major phosphate manufacturers accounting for around 70% of global production. Phosphate is a finite resource, although estimates of accessible global phosphate reserves vary. The US Geological Survey estimates current reserves to be in excess of 71 billion tons, against an annual global extraction of 0.19 billion tons.
At first glance, the massive amount of phosphate reserves suggests that there is little cause for concern about future supplies. It is also possible that new technologies will allow us to identify and extract unmapped phosphate reserves from beneath the ocean floors at some point in the future. Regardless of the actual amount of extractable phosphate rock, complacent reliance upon reserves is an outdated and ethically unsound strategy.
Even if there are a few hundred years worth of phosphate reserves (and not all scientists are in agreement) a sense of basic responsibility to future generations obliges us to recycle phosphate whenever possible – especially if recycling can reduce the negative environmental impact of runoff that causes eutrophication and damage to local aquatic ecosystems.
Where readily available recycled phosphate sources can allow the creation of circular economies with lower production costs, the incentives for companies are compelling. Phosphate recycling can easily be implemented as a joint enterprise between several companies and in partnership with government or regional authorities.
At a national or strategic level, we’re experiencing a shift towards greater energy and resource independence. No country wants to be entirely dependent on the import of vital materials, products, and food staples. There will be huge financial rewards for companies that can deliver effective energy, resource, and nutrient recycling solutions over the next decade.
What is Phosphate Used for?
Fertilizers are an essential component of world food security. The conflict in Ukraine, the recent commodity crisis, and rising energy costs have dramatically increased the cost of manufactured fertilizers. Phosphates and potash play a key role in creating sustainable fertilizers that don’t impact negatively the environment. Recycled phosphate sources and nutrient recycling have a great potential to reduce environmental footprint.
The food industry’s uses of phosphate are highly varied. The modern production of processed foods with a viable shelf life depends on phosphates. The applications include many of the chemical processes to thicken and maintain the structure of food products and to create preserved meats and deli cuts. Phosphates are also used in baking, dairy, and cheese manufacture and beverages. If you ate store-bought food today, the chances are that you consumed manufactured phosphates.
Cosmetics and personal care products frequently contain phosphates (particularly sodium phosphate). Phosphates are regarded as a safe ingredient that’s essential for the manufacture of products like bubble baths, dental hygiene products such as toothpaste and mouthwash, hair care products like shampoos, conditioners, dyes and colors, makeup, and skin care products. We come into contact with phosphates in personal care products throughout our lives.
Electronics (and especially advanced electronics) have tough specifications for trace metals and particles in their production processes. Electronic-grade phosphoric acids are essential for semiconductor manufacturing and can be used as dopants for certain types of photovoltaic production. These are required to produce Flash Memory, fuel cells, and flat screens for electronic devices of all sizes. It’s fair to say that phosphates are vital to the high-tech economy.
Detergents Phosphates were added as an ingredient to laundry detergents and some dishwashing soaps due to their effect on calcium and magnesium ions. The complex phosphates improved the cleaning process making laundry detergents far more effective than traditional soaps.
Metal Treatment is an essential process that relies to a large degree on phosphates and phosphoric acid. The substances are used to treat metal surfaces with an insoluble coating of phosphate crystals. This coating increases corrosion resistance and improves the adhesion of paints, oils, lubricants, and various plastic or metal laminates. Phosphate coating improves the robustness and durability of metal products and has applications across any industry that uses metal components.
Self-extinguishing phosphate ester fluids are excellent flame retardants. Their manufacturing applications include many life-saving products such as flame retardant clothing for firefighters, military personnel, and industrial workers, and flame retardant car seats and vehicle components. Phosphate ester fluids are also used as hydraulic and lubrication additives where fire risk is a consideration. They have an additional use as performance additives in engine oil and industrial and aviation fluids.
Batteries are one of the most exciting and potentially lucrative applications for phosphates. As the global transition to electric vehicle use gains momentum, the future market for smart, high-capacity batteries is immense. The market for Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) batteries is expected to be worth billions of dollars by 2030. We’re also seeing a transition towards locally generated renewable energy e.g. solar panels that require advanced phosphate batteries to be truly viable.
The industrial applications of phosphates are key components of the world’s most vital industries. Some of our most advanced technology depends on the byproducts of this ancient sedimentary rock that is filled with organic nutrients that were created millions of years ago. It’s essential to conserve existing supplies of organic phosphates by recycling phosphates wherever possible.
The Importance of Recycling Phosphate
Although there appears to be substantial reserves of phosphates available for mining, there is no scientific consensus about the actual size of these reserves, or crucially, how long they will last. In the summer of 2022, China imposed export quotas for phosphates. A previously abundant commodity is now a strategic asset.
We are currently entering a new technological revolution, comparable in scope and scale to the Industrial Revolution. Crucially, the tech revolution is expected to occur over decades rather than centuries. It’s impossible to predict future applications for phosphates – or future demand.
The ability to recycle phosphate (and wider nutrient recycling) is already taking on new importance. The push towards sustainable fertilizers and sustainable industrial phosphates isn’t just an ethical consideration, it is an economic and strategic necessity. Recycled or secondary phosphate sources will be valuable assets.
The EU has placed phosphorus rock and elemental phosphorus on the list of Critical Raw Materials. Recycling phosphorus is a must. There are many secondary sources of phosphates that are not based on phosphate mines, and they are everywhere! If Countries that have no phosphate reserves would have the technology today to get phosphate from secondary sources such as wastewater treatment plants, biomass, and legacy phosphate in soil, they could be self-supportive.
Companies like ICL Group are currently working on technologies to efficiently extract phosphorus from different secondary sources, mainly from wastewater treatments, sewage sludge, biomass sources such as manure, digestate from livestock production, and food waste. They aim to become a global leader in the recycling of phosphates.
In Summary
The concept of a circular economy is gaining traction as a key solution for sustainable development, especially in sectors like mineral extraction, production, and manufacturing, where reducing the carbon footprint is essential. A prime example of this commitment is the focus on phosphate recycling, a critical area given phosphates’ essential role in various industrial and agricultural processes. By prioritizing the recycling of this finite resource, these companies are not just conserving valuable materials but are also setting industry standards, demonstrating how businesses can contribute to a sustainable future. Such initiatives are crucial for reducing environmental impacts, enhancing resource independence, and fostering a more sustainable, resilient economy.
