Laboratory study demonstrates the synthesis of soluble triple superphosphate from animal bone waste, highlighting a sustainable alternative for phosphate fertilizer production.
Key Points
To synthesize triple superphosphate fertilizer from diverse animal bone wastes via a two-step calcination and acid treatment process.
Extracted hydroxyapatite from cow, goat, chicken, pigeon, and hilsa fish bones via calcination, followed by reaction with phosphoric acid to produce triple superphosphate.
Analyzed crystallographic, chemical, and thermal properties using XRD, FTIR, SEM-EDX, and TG/DTG/DSC, and tested solubility in deionized water and soil extract compared to commercial fertilizer.
Pigeon-derived hydroxyapatite exhibited an ideal Ca/P ratio of 1.67, while cow-derived hydroxyapatite showed the highest ratio of 2.57; acid treatment adjusted these ratios to 0.70 and 0.52 in the synthesized triple superphosphate.
Thermogravimetric analysis of hilsa-derived fertilizer showed a residual mass of 76.65% with 3.2 mol of water released, confirming near-ideal purity alongside rapid solubility comparable to commercial triple superphosphate.