Formulation of phosphate rock slurries
AssigneeFMC Corporation
InventorsRichard L. Lehman, John A. Shepherd
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The viscosity of phosphate rock slurries is reduced by incorporating in the slurry both sodium tripolyphosphate and an alkaline material, particularly sodium hydroxide. The combined amount of these two materials required to achieve a given viscosity reduction is significantly lower than the weighted average of the amounts required for each to produce individually the same viscosity reduction. The defined alkaline materials, other than sodium hydroxide, are sodium carbonate, ammonium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide.
Claims12
An aqueous slurry of particulate phosphate rock, the solids content of said slurry being between about 60% and about 80% by weight, said slurry having dissolved therein, in an amount sufficient to impart to the slurry a Brookfield viscosity below 2500 centipoises, both sodium tripolyphosphate and an alkaline material selected from the group consisting of sodium hydroxide, sodium carbonate, ammonium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide and mixtures thereof.
An aqueous slurry of particulate phosphate rock, the solids content of which is between about 60% and about 80% by weight, said slurry having dissolved therein both sodium tripolyphosphate and sodium hydroxide in combined amount sufficient to impart to the slurry a Brookfield viscosity below 2500 centipoises.
In the process of producing an aqueous slurry of ground phosphate rock which slurry has a solids content between about 60% and about 80% by weight and a reduced Brookfield viscosity below about 2500, which process comprises grinding phosphate rock and dispersing the ground particles of said rock in an aqueous medium, the improvement which comprises providing said reduced viscosity by incorporating in said slurry at some point in its preparation both sodium tripolyphosphate and an alkaline material selected from the group consisting of sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide and mixtures thereof.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.