Phosacid Defluorination Plant
J.R. Simplot, Pocatello, ID
 
KEMWorks supplied basic engineering to JR Simplot to remove fluorine from 50,000 tpy of 52% P2O5 phosphoric acid to be used in the production of granular animal feed. The fluorine is removed by air stripping the heated phosphoric acid in a batch process. Silica, in the form of diatomaceous earth is added in the process to promote defluorination. The P/F ratio of the purified acid product is > 100. The air stripping process consumes far less energy than conventional steam stripping or evaporation processes.

In addition, the defluorination equipment, the plant also included a multi-stage, Kimre cross-flow scrubber to achieve the required standards for fluorine emissions.

Project Highlights:

• Basic engineering package completed in December 1998.
• Plant successfully started-up in late 1999 and continues to run as of  November 2001.
• Additional studies in progress to evaluate potential for increased capacity.