Phosphates and Phosphoric Acid in Everyday Life
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Detergents Metal treatment Fertilisers Water treatment Phosphates and phosphoric acid in everyday life Products to meet everyday needs PRAYON, a long tradition in the chemical industry Prayon was founded in 1982, but its roots reach back more than 100 years to the Liège region of Belgium. It is the parent company of the Prayon Group, a world leader in producing phosphate chemicals (fertilisers, detergents, food additives and technical applications) and developing inorganic chemical specialities. The Group’s expertise in the wet process production of phosphoric acid is acknowledged and utilised worldwide, including by its competitors. Currently, some 50% of phosphoric acid production sites use Prayon technology and 70% use Prayon equipment. Jointly owned by Office Chérifien des Phosphates (OCP) and Société Régionale d’Investissement de Wallonie (SRIW), the Group consists of over 20 companies located in more than 10 countries. It employs 1,450 people and generates a turnover of €500 million. Prayon boasts worldwide coverage via its production sites in Europe (Belgium and France), the Americas (USA, Brazil) and Africa (Morocco). The Group markets its products in more than 70 countries on five continents, an international presence that reinforces its position as a global player. PRAYON AND TECHNICAL PHOSPHATES Prayon markets the following major groups of phosphate products used in technical applications: • PURIFIED PHOSPHORIC ACID: produced using Prayon’s own solvent extraction process. Available in different grades and concentrations, this acid is used in a wide range of technical and food applications. Production sites: • Engis and Puurs (Belgium): 250,000 tonnes of P2O5 per year • Jorf-Lasfar (Morocco), via Emaphos, a joint venture between Prayon (33%), OCP (33%) and CFB (Chemische Fabrik Budenheim) (33%): 150,000 tonnes of P2O5 per year • Phosphate salts: sodium, potassium, calcium, ammonium and aluminium phosphates, and a wide variety of special blends based on these products. Phosphate salts are used in the aforementioned industries as well as in ceramics, flame retardants, porcelain, paper, glass, among other applications. Many of these products are marketed under the Europhos brand name. The Group produces over 300,000 tonnes of phosphate salts each year. Production sites: • Engis and Puurs (Belgium) • Les Roches de Condrieu (Lyon, France) • Augusta (Georgia, USA) • FLUORINE salts: various grades of sodium fluoride as well as sodium and potassium fluosilicates. Production site: • Puurs (Belgium) 3 PRAYON, a worldwide group THE PERFECT partnER TECHNOLOGY AND EXPErtISE CapaBLE OF RISING TO ALL MARKET CHALLENGES at THE LEADING EDGE OF INNOVatION The Prayon Group today consists of more than 20 indus- Prayon’s research programmes focus on two objectives: trial and commercial affiliated companies. • meeting the market’s needs and expectations; • improving manufacturing processes in order to maxi- Specialised industrial subsidiaries ensure that the entire mise product quality, control costs and reduce safety production chain revolves around the Group’s core busi- and environmental risks. nesses. Since 1992, Prayon has implemented a quality assurance Its sales network of subsidiaries and agencies is structu- system at all its production sites and in all its commercial red in such a way that it can ensure an active presence subsidiaries. across all five continents and meet the specific require- ments of local markets and application sectors. At present, all Prayon’s industrial sites are ISO 9001:2000- certified for quality. The European sites are also OHSAS 18001-certified for safety and have been certified as environmentally friendly under ISO 14001. The Group’s analytical control laboratories are equipped with state-of-the-art technology used to determine the physical and chemical parameters for production at all of the Group’s industrial plants. Other, more specialised laboratories work on individual product applications to meet specific customer require- ments. PREFERRED ACCESS TO RAW matERIALS Prayon and its industrial subsidiaries are guaranteed preferred access – in terms of time, quantity and qua- lity – to the basic raw materials needed to produce its end products. This special status is the result of its close partnership and development programme with its share- holder, Office Chérifien des Phosphates, which controls the world’s largest reserve of phosphate ore. Local representative offices Production sites Commercial subsidiaries 4 5 Fertilisers Product applications In horticulture, gardening, viticulture and arboriculture, irrigation and spraying are used to bring the three main nutrients – N, P and K – to plants. The excellent solubility of Prayon products is an asset in these appli- cations. Detergents Purified phosphoric acid and phosphates are key ingredients in industrial detergents (I&I detergents). In household detergents, phos- Water treatment phate-based formulations also offer certain advantages over «alternative formulas». The use of purified phosphoric acid and/or phosphates prevents the formation of scale These «builders» serve as complexing (softe- deposits, controls red and black water phe- ning), dispersing, emulsifying and buffering nomena and reduces the risk of corrosion in agents; they also synergise with surfactants water mains. Some phosphates and purified and provide alkalinity. phosphoric acid are also used for biological treatment of industrial and wastewater. Fluorine products (NaF, SSF) are also used to improve the quality of public water in many countries. Metal treatment Purified phosphoric acid and phosphates are used in the process of phosphating metallic surfaces. Phosphatation reduces the suscep- Other applications tibility of metals to corrosion and improves • Ceramics, enamels and refractories the adhesion of paint to the treated surface. • Porcelain These products are also used in cleaning • Paper metal surfaces and manufacturing electrical • Flame retardants sheets. Finally, purified phosphoric acid and • Paints fluorine derivatives are used in the alumi- • Glass fibre nium industry. • Glass • Antifreeze • Biofuels (biodiesel & bioethanol) • Yeast and fermentation • Textiles • Refining of sugar and vegetable oils • Other applications (pigments, pharmaceuticals applications, various food applications) 6 7 Phosphoric acid and phosphates in detergents Detergents Purified phosphoric acid and phosphates combine many • BUffER AGEnt ABLE to REGULatE THE ACIDIty very useful properties which make them the material of OF WASHING watER choice in manufacturing most detergents, household and To make a detergent as effective as possible, it is industrial, also referred to as «I&I» (Industrial & Institu essential that the pH of the bath remains as stable tional). as possible throughout the washing process. However, Purified phosphoric acid is used in I&I for manufacturing some impurities are acidic. This can cause the bath pH «acidic» detergents, which are the most effective on scale, to fall considerably, especially in I&I cleaning. Due to soot, glue and dairy derivatives. Phosphates meanwhile their buffer (pH-controlling) capacity, phosphates neu- perform best against grease and oil. tralise this variation and maintain an optimum pH in the bath. In domestic cleaning, phosphates are sometimes replaced by other builders. However, products containing phospha • tes clean more effectively and require less use of other ALKALISING CapaCITY ingredients, especially surfactants. Phosphates are also Solutions of tripolyphosphates are alkaline with a pH of • SYNERGY WITH SUrfaCtantS the only recyclable components present in detergents, approximately 10. Alkalinity helps the chemicals attack which is a distinct environmental advantage and helps to impurities by strengthening the action of the other The presence of phosphates makes surfactants more safeguard sustainable development. constituent ingredients of the detergent (e.g. sodium effective, resulting in a more powerful detergent. silicate, sodium carbonate). Various types of phosphates are used in detergents, the main one being sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP). We have developed over 20 grades of sodium tripoly phosphate that are specifically suited to different types of Product range and use cleaning products. HOUSEHOLD DETERGENTS I&I detergents Tablets Powders Liquids or gels STPP - Heavy granules • • • PHOSPHatES AND PHOSPHORIC ACID ARE VALUED FOR THEIR MANY PROPErtIES STPP - Light granules • • SoftENING AND COMPLEXING AGENT • DISPERSING AGENTS STPP - Powder • • The water used for washing contains calcium and Phosphates are excellent emulsifiers of oil and fat, STPP - (Hydrated) Type H • • • magnesium salts which are soluble in various quan- turning them into minute droplets dispersed in the STPP - Coloured heavy granules • • tities. This is known as water hardness. When subject detergent. They supplement the emulsifying effect of to the effects of temperature, some of these salts surfactants and/or sodium disilicate. Potassium solutions KTPP/TKPP • • become insoluble so that deposits build up on the item Due to their dispersing properties, phosphates prevent being washed, causing fabric fibres to stiffen, leaving the re-deposit of mineral impurities. STPP is conside- Potassium phosphates KTPP/TKPP/SKTP • • • marks on glassware, and creating scale on appliances. red one of the best dispersing agents. Using a phosphate creates «complex» soluble products Phosphoric acid • with calcium and magnesium, and prevents them becoming deposited on the