SECONDARY PHOSPHORUS FOR THE EUROPEAN FERTILIZER INDUSTRY -QUALITY OF RECOVERED PRODUCTS AND THEIR MARKETS

摘要

Phosphorus is required by every cell of living organisms and essential for plant growth. It is a non-renewable resource that must be mined from natural deposits, going gradually into depletion. Abundant secondary resources are available in sewage sludge and meat and bone meal, with the highest exploitable P concentrations in ashes that remain from their widely used combustion with energy recovery. ASH DEC has successfully removed heavy metals and transformed sewage sludge ash into a marketable P fertilizer by application of a thermo-chemical treatment process. Pilot scale investigations in which ash was treated proved that generally heavy metal limits required by fertilizer legislation can be attained. To achieve a high P availability for crops - an essential fertilizer quality feature - was a more challenging R&D task. Our presentation demonstrates the scientific approach and R&D results that lead from assessment of market requirements to licensed products.