Rock Phosphate

Rock Phosphate: Its History

Rock Phosphate is a general term used to describe phosphate-bearing minerals. It is a finite, nonrenewable natural resource. Geological deposits of different origin are found throughout the world. Natural rock phosphates are from deposits of apatite rock formed eons ago by sea life that left behind fossils and shells composed primarily of calcium phosphates. Over millions of years, the remains accumulated and were subjected to millions of tons of pressure; creating sedimentary rock deposits. Most of the phosphates used in modern agriculture, science, and industry are refined from apatite rock.

When people think of phosphate, they often think of phosphate fertilizers, but may not realize that today’s phosphate uses include livestock feed supplements and consumable products such as vitamins, soft drinks, insecticides, detergents, and healthcare products, to name a few. Phosphate mining began in the early 1900’s with production rapidly increasing during World War II. Once phosphate rock is mined, it is transported to a processing plant in which water is used for separation of phosphate from clay, sand, and other rock particles. The majority of phosphate recovered over the years has been used for phosphate fertilizers but with the growth in agriculture in emerging markets around the globe, phosphate consumption is on the increase, requiring more
efficient phosphate processing systems.

Rock phosphate can mineralize the soil and improve the quality of crops and soil structure. However, its principal uses are to build phosphate fertility where levels are low and/or to increase rooting activity in transplants and sprouting seeds. Unlike acidulated phosphates, such as triple super phosphate, Phosphate Rock offers a small percent age of its total phosphate content as immediately available.

Rock Phosphate: Its Use

The World of Phosphate industry is based on the commercial exploitation of some rock phosphate deposits. In spite of their extremely variable composition, rock phosphate are the commercial source of phosphate used as the raw material for manufacturing phosphate fertilizers and certain other chemicals. Unlike other vital commodities, such as Fe, copper (Cu) and sulphur (S), there is little opportunity for substitution or recycling. Phosphate ranks second (coal and hydrocarbons excluded) in terms of gross tonnage and volume of international
trade. The fertilizer industry consumes about 90 percent of world rock phosphate production. Sulphuric acid and rock phosphate are the raw materials used in the production of single superphosphate (SSP) and phosphoric acid. Phosphoric acid is an important intermediate by-product that is used to make triple superphosphate (TSP) and ammonium phosphate.

In order to ensure food security in developing countries, there is a need for the sustainable intensification of agricultural production systems towards supporting productivity gains and income generation. In this context, novel, soil-specific technologies will have to be developed, pilot tested and transferred to farmers in a relatively short time. Phosphorus is an essential nutrient element for plants and animals. The appropriate and sound utilization of rock phosphate as phosphorus sources can contribute to sustainable agricultural intensification,
particularly in developing countries endowed with rock phosphate resources.

An adequate supply of phosphorus to plants is essential for seed formation, root development and the maturing of crops. It is second only to nitrogen as the most limiting element for plant growth and it cannot be substituted in food production. The amount of phosphorus that is found naturally in soils varies greatly and can range from around 500 to 2500kg per hectare.

Phosphorus is an element that is widely distributed in nature and occurs, together with nitrogen (N) and potassium (K), as a primary constituent of plant and animal life. Phosphorus plays a series of functions in the plant metabolism and is one of the essential nutrients required for plant growth and development. It has functions of a structural nature in macromolecules such as nucleic acids and of energy transfer in metabolic pathways of biosynthesis and degradation. However, only a small proportion of this phosphorus will be in the right form (soluble organophosphates in the soil solution) for it to be available for plants to take up, indeed this is often less than 10g per hectare.

In cultivated systems some of the phosphorus taken up by the crop is removed in harvest, and then eaten directly by humans or fed to livestock. Therefore it is necessary for phosphorus to be returned to the soil, in a form that is immediately available to plants, or to be stored for later release (as well as making sure that phosphorus reserves are converted to a soluble form as efficiently as possible).

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