Recycling of calcium phosphate by firing and high-power laser-ablation processes

Abstract

Calcium phosphates are essential compounds for the sustenance of life, since, for example, many grains that enable to convert food are necessary for use of the fertilizers made of chemically synthesized crystals. We have demonstrated two alternative dry processes for the conversion of hydroxyapatite to tricalcium phosphate by means of thermodynamically controlled heat and electronically generated heat with pulsed laser light. In addition, the conversion efficiency has been quantitatively determined from the Rietveld analysis for powder X-ray diffractionpatterns of the fired and laser-ablated samples. Both conversion processes recycled animals’ bones as the source of calcium phosphate, and in the future, this could compensate for the niche area in the absence of wet process for a phosphorus containing sludge through a sewage treatment.