With a budget of about € 2.5 million (half of it being financed by the European Commission), the project started in July 2013 and is due to be finished in March 2016. During this period, Prayon will run an industrial pilot to test the feasibility of the process on industrial scale.
The aim of the LIFE Polyphos Acid project is to offer a solution to the reduction of the carbon footprint and to the non-valorised wastes in the context of the polyphosphoric acid production.
Context of the project
With a share of more than 30% of the total industrial energy use worldwide (including feedstocks), the chemical and petrochemical sector is by far the largest energy user in industry. The sector is faced with the challenge of saving energy primarily for economic and environmental reasons. It also needs to comply with EU regulations.The phosphate industry is obviously affected by this context. Over the past 60 years, limiting the energy consumption has always been a challenge for the phosphate industry. Despite the fact that several ways have been explored, the producers of polyphosphoric acid are still looking for cost-effective solutions that guaranty the necessary levels of quality and security, as well as the cost-effectiveness of the processes.
The LIFE Polyphos Acid is not only a technical demonstrator, it is evidence that more can be done in terms of energy consumption (meaning also reduction of greenhouse gas emissions), compactness of equipment and valorisation of waste.
Objectives
The most popular process currently used for the production of polyphosphoric acid is the thermal process. It is easier to implement but also highly consuming in terms of energy.The project aims at producing highly purified polyphosphoric acid (85% P2O5) via an innovative wet process. This process is less polluting and more energy-efficient, but more complex so not widely used yet.
The LIFE Polyphos Acid project aims to offer a complete solution that not only complies with the existing standards but even goes well beyond. A pilot scale will be built at the Prayon’s premises.
With this patent-pending process, Prayon aims firstly at reducing the carbon footprint of the production of polyphosphoric acid:
- by decreasing the energy consumption;
- by using a much more compact system than the Best Available Technologies (BAT).
As such, this project will have a very positive effect on the environment in general, and on the climate change in particular.
Expected results
- Reduction of the carbon footprint with a decrease of energy consumption and C02 emissions of 54%.
- Reduction of the materials necessary to set up the process: reduction in terms of volume of the installation could be up to 80%, and the reduction in terms of mass could be up to 50%.
The new process also implies responsible management of the water consumption and the residual materials. If expected results are achieved, the replication of Prayon’s technology will be possible (and even nearly immediate) at the larger scale possible. The benefits for the environment and for the economy should facilitate the adoption of this innovative system by the industry and the legislator.
Coordinator contact
For any question or information about the project, please contact the project coordinator at Prayon:
Contact person: Carl Szöcs
Phone number: +32 42 73 93 74
E-mail address: [email protected]
