Treating waste phosphogypsum for cement and plaster manufacture

In the investigation reported in this paper, treatment of phosphogypsum with aqueous citric acid solution was attempted to purify phosphogypsum and improve its quality to make it fit for manufacture of cement and gypsum plaster for the first time. The treatment of gypsum converts phosphatic and fluoride impurities into water-removable citrates, aluminates and ferrates. The findings of chemical and physical tests and differential thermal analysis of the phosphogypsum with and without citric acid treatment established improvement of the treatment for purifying phosphogypsum. The purified phosphogypsum was found to have lesser amount of impurities of phosphates, fluorides and organic matter than the impure material. The Portland and Portland slag cements produced with purified phosphogypsum were found to have strength properties similar to those produced from mineral gypsum, whereas gypsum plaster produced conformed to the relevant Indian Standards. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.