RECOVERY OF ARTIFICIAL PHOSPHORUS RESOURCE FROM WASTES

Abstract

It is concerned that the sources of high-grade phosphate ore deposits could disappear within the next 100 years at current use rates. Detail review on the domestic phosphorus material flow in Japan revealed by the authors shows that phosphorus in steelmaking slag and sewage sludge is almost equivalent with that in the imported phosphate rock in the view points of the amount and the concentration, and thus they have great potential as a new artificial phosphorus resource. Recovery technologies from them which are being developed by the authors are introduced. Environmental and economical benefits given by the proposed new process are also quantitatively evaluated by the Waste Input-Output model.