Dissolution kinetics of western Deseret phosphate rocks, Abu Tartur with hydrochloric acid

Abstract EN

The dissolution kinetics of the Abu-Tartur phosphate rock using dilute hydrochloric acid has been investigated.

The influence of acid concentration, liquid/solid ratio, particle size and temperature was studied to explore the dissolution kinetics of phosphate rock.

It was found that the leaching rate increases with increasing the acid concentration, liquid/solid ratio, temperature and decreases with increasing particle size of the phosphate rock.

The kinetic data showed that the leaching process can be described by a shrinking-core model with apparent activation energy equals to 14.46kJ/mol.

The low activation energy supported the findings that the phosphate ore leaching rate is controlled by the diffusion of reactants and leaching products through a porous ore.

Based on this model and the experimental results, the dissolution rate can be expressed by the following semi-empirical equation;[1 − 3(1 − α)2/3 + 2(1 − α)]= 3 x 10-9C 0.99(L/ S) 2.08ro -2.16e− 1448/ RT t.

The experimental results was tested graphically and statically and found that the above model fits satisfactorily the experimental results.