Influence of Process Parameters on the Characteristics of Struvite Pellets
Publication: Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 138, Issue 12
Abstract
With an ever-increasing demand for phosphate-based fertilizer, new sustainable sources of phosphorus are warranted. Recent technologies have successfully demonstrated the possibility of recovering phosphorus from wastewater-treatment plants as struvite, which is also a ready-made, slow-release fertilizer. However, process parameters that influence the operation of crystallizers and production of good-quality struvite pellets have yet to be fully understood. This paper discusses the influence of process parameters on the characteristics of struvite pellets. Among the various process parameters, upflow velocity and flow patterns in the crystallizer were found to influence the size and shape of the pellets. In the range (1.5–7.1) tested, supersaturation ratio did not appear to influence the crushing strength of the pellets formed. Midsized pellets, in the 2.0–2.5-mm range, exhibited the highest crushing strengths. Higher magnesium concentration in the crystallizer was able to increase the crushing strength of struvite pellets by as much as 15–27%.
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Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank The University of British Columbia, Natural Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD), and Stantec Consulting Ltd., Vancouver, B.C., Canada, for their financial support toward this research. The authors are also very grateful to the staff at Lulu Island Wastewater Treatment Plant for their support and help during the study.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 138 • Issue 12 • December 2012
Pages: 1200 - 1209
Copyright
© 2012 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Sep 29, 2011
Accepted: Mar 31, 2012
Published online: Apr 10, 2012
Published in print: Dec 1, 2012
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