Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Alternative route for the recovery of nitrogen as ammonium phosphate crystals from high strength waste streams

  • ORIGINAL ARTICLE
  • Published:
Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This study suggests a method for the recovery of nitrogen in waste or wastewater as ammonium phosphate crystals. Recovered crystals were a mixture of mono-ammonium phosphate (MAP) and di-ammonium phosphate (DAP), which are valuable fertilizers. A lab-scale system was constructed with an ammonia stripper and absorber with phosphoric acid solution. Formation of ammonium phosphate crystals was dependent on the concentration and volume of phosphoric acid in the absorber. The absorption efficiency of ammonia in the absorber increased as the concentration and volume of phosphoric acid increased. However, the crystals formed better in a smaller volume of absorbing solution. When the N/P ratio in the ammonia absorbed solution reached 0.38 in a continuous stripping condition, crystals could not be formed in the absorber, but could be formed in a crystallizer maintained at 10 °C, the optimal temperature for crystallization. The N/P ratio of the recovered crystals was 1.47, indicating that the crystals were a mixture of MAP and DAP. Analyses of SEM and XRD revealed that the recovered crystals were composed of MAP and DAP.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Jung JY, Chung YC, Shin HS, Son DH (2004) Enhanced ammonia nitrogen removal using consistent biological regeneration and ammonium exchange of zeolite in modified SBR process. Water Res 38:347–354

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Padeyanda Y, Jang YC, Ko Y, Yi S (2016) Evaluation of environmental impacts of food waste management by material flow analysis (MFA) and life cycle assessment (LCA). J mater Cycle Waste Manag 18(3):493–508

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Lin L, Chen J, Xu Z, Yuan S, Cao M, Liu H, Lu X (2009) Removal of ammonia nitrogen in wastewater by microwave radiation: a pilot-scale study. J of Hazard Mater 168:862–867

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Jiang A, Zhang T, Zhao Q, Frear C, Chen S (2010) Integrated ammonia recovery technology in conjunction with dairy anaerobic digestion. CFF Final Report-AD Component

  5. Ministry of Environment (2014) Environmental statistics yearbook. http://webbook.me.go.kr/DLi-File/091/020/003/5588561.pdf. Accessed 1 Apr 2017

  6. Luo X, Yan Q, Wang C, Luo C, Zhou N, Jian C (2015) Treatment of ammonia nitrogen wastewater in low concentration by two-stage ozonization. Int J Env Res Pub He 12:11975–11987

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Yuan MH, Chen YH, Tsai JY, Chang CY (2016) Removal of ammonia from wastewater by air stripping process in laboratory and pilot scales using a rotating packed bed at ambient temperature. J Taiwan Inst Chem E 60:488–495

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Bermejo MD, Cantero F, Cocero MJ (2008) Supercritical water oxidation of feeds with high ammonia concentrations: pilot plant experimental results and modeling. Chem Eng J 137:542–549

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Choi E, Kim D, EumY Yun Z, Min KS (2005) Full-scale experience for nitrogen removal from piggery waste. Water Environ Res 77:381–389

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Uludag-Demirer S, Demirer GN, Chen S (2005) Ammonia removal from anaerobically digested dairy manure by struvite precipitation. Process Biochem 40:3667–3674

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Battistoni P, Fava G, Pavan P, Musacco A, Cecchi F (1997) Phosphate removal in anaerobic liquors by struvite crystallization without addition of chemicals: preliminary results. Wat Res 31:2925

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Thapa S, Ha TY, Lee H, Adelodun AA (2017) Recovery of ammonium ion as struvite from flue gas scrubbing wastewater. J Mater Cycle Waste Manag. doi:10.1007/s10163-016-0579-8

    Google Scholar 

  13. Gaterell MR, Gay R, Wilson R, Gochin TJ, Lester JN (2000) An economic and environmental evaluation of the opportunities for substituting phosphorus recovered from wastewater treatment works in existing UK fertilizer markets. Environ Technol 21:1067–1084

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Gilmour R (2013) Phosphoric acid: purification, uses, technology, and economics, vol 6. CRC Press, Boca Raton, pp 283–284

    Book  Google Scholar 

  15. Gargouri M, Chtara V, Sharrock P, Nzihou A, Feki HA (2012) Experimental study of the purification of an industrial fertilizer (mono-ammonium phosphate) to large scale using an experimental design. Int J Mater Eng 2(4):32–37

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Michael R, Cory M (2010) Modeling the cost of production of nitrogen fertilizer produced from wind energy, final report. University of Minnesota, Minnesota

    Google Scholar 

  17. FAO (2015) World fertilizer trends and outlook to 2018, Food and Agriculture Organization, Rome, Italy

  18. Tilman D, Balzer C, Hill J, Befort BL (2011) Global food demand and the sustainable intensification of agriculture. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 108:20260–20264

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Jones A (2016) How phosphate fertilizer prices are changing trends. http://marketrealist.com/2016/03/phosphate-fertilizer-prices-changing-trends/. Accessed 1 Apr 2017

  20. Mubarak YA (2013) Optimum operating conditions for production of crystalline monoammonium phosphate form granulated diammonium phosphate. Arab J Sci Eng 38:777–786

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Rabah FKJ, Darwish MS (2013) Characterization of ammonia removal from municipal wastewater using microwave energy: batch experiment. Enviro Nat Resour Res 3(1):42

    Google Scholar 

  22. Walker M, Lyer K, Heaven S, Banks CJ (2011) Ammonia removal in anaerobic digestion by biogas stripping: an evaluation of process alternatives using a first order rate model based on experimental findings. Chem Eng J 178:138–145

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Jafari MJ, Ghasemi R, Mehrabi Y, Yazdanbakhsh AR, Hajibabaei M (2012) Influence of liquid and gas flow rates on sulfuric acid mist removal from air by packed bed tower. Iran J Environ Healt 9(1):20

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Jones PG (1981) Crystal Growing. Chem Br 17(5):222–225

    Google Scholar 

  25. Gargouri M, Chtara V, Sharrock P, Nzihou A, Feki HA (2014) Purification of an industrial fertilizer using design of experiments. Int J Mater Eng 4:185–191

    Google Scholar 

  26. Cubillas P, Anderson MW (2010) Synthesis mechanism: crystal growth and nucleation. Zeol Catal Synth React Appl 1:1–55

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This subject was supported by Korea Ministry of Environment (MOE) as “Advanced Technology Program for Environmental Industry” Program (2014000150004) and “Waste to Energy and Recycling Human Resource Development Project”.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Program in Environmental Technology and Policy, Korea University, Sejong, 30019, Republic of Korea

    Dandan Dong, Oh Kyung Choi, Kwanhyoung Lee, Yongsuk Hong & Jae Woo Lee

  2. Department of Environmental Engineering, College of Science and Technology, Korea University, Sejong, 30019, Republic of Korea

    Jae Woo Lee

Authors
  1. Dandan Dong
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Oh Kyung Choi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Kwanhyoung Lee
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Yongsuk Hong
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Jae Woo Lee
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jae Woo Lee.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Dong, D., Choi, O.K., Lee, K. et al. Alternative route for the recovery of nitrogen as ammonium phosphate crystals from high strength waste streams. J Mater Cycles Waste Manag 20, 578–584 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10163-017-0624-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10163-017-0624-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation