Calculations of solubility polytherms of phosphate salts in their mixtures with ammonium chloride and optimization of conditions for selective crystallization of ammonium orthophosphates

Abstract

The purpose of the work was to determine the optimal conditions for preparation of chemically pure salts of ammonium orthophosphates based on solutions formed after purification of extractable orthophosphoric acid from toxic impurities of d-metals, lead, arsenic and fluorine by their coprecipitation with calcium hydrogen phosphate. Based on the Sechenov's modified formula, a method for calculating the solubility polytherms of orthophosphate salts in their mixtures with ammonium chloride was proposed. For its experimental confirmation, studies were conducted to determine the concentrations of saturated solutions of a number of orthophosphate salts in their mixtures with ammonium chloride at temperatures of 14, 40 and 800C. The results of the calculations were well confirmed by experiments on selective crystallization. It was shown that the following chemically pure products can be obtained from solutions of mixtures of (NH4)2HPO4 and NH4Cl by the methods of isothermal-isohydric crystallization: (NH4)2HPO4 (with a yield of up to 79.5%) and NH4H2PO4 (with a yield of up to 52.4%). Measurements of the concentrations of Cd(II), As(III), Cu(II), Pb(II) and fluorine in the synthesized salts showed that they were at levels lower than the current requirements for maximum permissible concentrations. Therefore, these salts can be recommended for use as food additives.