Phosphorus Chloride Production via Direct Chlorination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for producing phosphorus chlorides and phosphorus pentachlorides from phosphate ores are energy-intensive, wasteful, and inefficient, often requiring the reduction of phosphate ores to elemental phosphorus and resulting in significant losses of calcium value and excessive electrical power consumption.
Innovation Solution
A process involving the heating of pulverized phosphate ores with carbonaceous substances and silica at elevated temperatures, followed by treatment with chlorine, allows for the direct production of phosphorus chlorides and phosphorus pentachlorides without reducing phosphate ores to elemental phosphorus, using low-grade coke as a thermal energy source and minimizing electrical power consumption, while converting waste products into useful cement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If phosphate ores are reduced to elemental phosphorus using arc furnace process, then phosphorus derivatives can be produced, but electrical power consumption is excessive and calcium value is lost as calcium silicate waste
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts phosphorus directly from phosphate ores in the form of phosphorus oxides and chlorides without reducing to elemental phosphorus, thereby avoiding the energy-intensive arc furnace process and preventing calcium value loss. The calcium remains in the ore matrix to form useful cement clinker instead of being wasted as calcium silicate slag.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the chemical parameters of the process by using oxidation-chlorination reactions instead of reduction reactions. Phosphate ores are heated with chlorine and carbonaceous materials to directly produce phosphorus chlorides (PCl3, PCl5) without forming elemental phosphorus, thereby eliminating the need for electrical power and preserving calcium value.
2Productivity
If phosphate ores are processed by conventional methods, then phosphorus products are obtained, but the process is energy-intensive and produces significant waste
Solution Approach 1:
The invention converts the previously harmful waste stream (calcium silicate slag) into a valuable product (cement clinker). By processing phosphate ores with chlorine and carbonaceous materials, the calcium phosphate matrix is transformed into cementitious materials while phosphorus is recovered as useful chlorides, thereby eliminating waste and reducing energy consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The single process simultaneously achieves multiple objectives: (1) produces phosphorus chlorides (PCl3, PCl5), (2) generates useful cement clinker from the calcium phosphate matrix, (3) avoids energy-intensive reduction to elemental phosphorus, and (4) eliminates calcium silicate waste. This multi-functional process replaces the conventional multi-step arc furnace route.
3Quantity of substance
If silica and alumina are added in conventional amounts to process phosphate ores, then cement clinker is formed, but the process requires excessive silica and alumina and generates more waste
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the chemical environment by introducing chlorine and carbonaceous materials, which alters the reaction pathways. This allows the natural calcium phosphate matrix to form cement clinker with minimal or no added silica and alumina, as the chlorine-based chemistry enables direct formation of cementitious phases from the ore itself.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This process reduces energy consumption, minimizes waste, and enables the flexible production of various phosphorus derivatives, achieving high phosphorus recovery and cement production with reduced silica and alumina requirements, thereby enhancing operational and capital efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
heating at elevated temperature of 1100° C. to 1500° C., pulverised mixture of phosphate ores, carbonaceous substances, silica and/or alumina
Implementation Method 2
treating the resultant gaseous products with chlorine in the ratio of 1 to 5 moles of chlorine per mole of phosphorous oxide contained in the phosphate ores
Data Source
AI summary
A process for manufacturing phosphorous trichloride, phosphorous pentachloride and cement comprising of heating at elevated temperature of 1100° C. to 1500° C. pulverized mixture of phosphate ores, carbonaceous substances, silica and/or alumina and treating the resultant gaseous products with chlorine in the ratio of 1 to 5 moles of chlorine per mole of phosphorous oxide contained in the phosphate ores while maintaining the temperature between 400° C. to 1000° C. by cooling and thereafter firstly separating gaseous mixture of primarily phosphorous trichloride and phosphorous pentachloride, from cement and later separating phosphorous trichloride and phosphorous pentachloride, both separations by known methods.