How is phosphorus mined or collected?
Today, phosphorus is mined in surface mines and produced in countries like Middle East countries, China, and the United States. Phosphorus is not found as a pure substance but rather in the mineral called phosphate rock.
Why is phosphate mined?
At first, bones, which contain the element phosphorus, were used as an agricultural fertilizer. Today, phosphate rock provides fertilizer’s phosphorus. Phosphate rock was first mined in England in 1847 for use as a fertilizer.
What is phosphorus mining?
The largest and least expensive source of phosphorus is obtained by mining and concentrating phosphate rock from the numerous phosphate deposits of the world. Some phosphate rock is used to make calcium phosphate nutritional supplements for animals. Pure phosphorus is used to make chemicals for use in industry.
Where does phosphate come from?
Phosphate reserves are found in Africa, North America, Kazakhstan, the Middle East and Oceania but the world’s largest deposits are located in Morocco, which is also one of the global leaders in phosphate extraction.
What is the function of phosphate?
Phosphate is a charged particle (ion) that contains the mineral phosphorus. The body needs phosphorus to build and repair bones and teeth, help nerves function, and make muscles contract.
How do plants make phosphate?
The most effective methods of adding phosphorous to your soil include:
- Bone meal – a fast acting source that is made from ground animal bones which is rich in phosphorous.
- Rock phosphate – a slower acting source where the soil needs to convert the rock phosphate into phosphorous that the plants can use.
How is phosphorus made?
White phosphorus is manufactured industrially by heating phosphate rock in the presence of carbon and silica in a furnace. This produces phosphorus as a vapour, which is then collected under water. Red phosphorus is made by gently heating white phosphorus to about 250°C in the absence of air.
Where are phosphorus mines?
As of 2015, there are 10 active phosphate mines in four states: Florida, North Carolina, Idaho, and Utah. The eastern phosphate deposits are mined from open pits. The western deposits are mined from both surface and underground mines.
Who produces phosphate?
While nearly 30 countries produce phosphate rock, China, the United States and Morocco are the largest producers, together accounting for two-thirds of world production. Morocco alone accounts for more than 30 percent of global exports.
Where is phosphate found?
What is the phosphorus cycle?
The phosphorus cycle is the biogeochemical cycle that describes the movement of phosphorus through the lithosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere. On the land, phosphorus gradually becomes less available to plants over thousands of years, since it is slowly lost in runoff.
How is phosphate mined and processed?
Most phosphate mining is conducted as open-pit mining rather than subsurface mining. In a typical mining operation, a layer of topsoil and other material is removed and placed into already-mined areas. Large dragline excavators then extract the phosphate rock from the ground.
What is involved in phosphate mining?
Phosphate mining involves the extraction of ores containing chemical compounds rich in substances that contain the phosphate ion. These ores vary in their composition, and different varieties of phosphate rock require different mining techniques. Processing of the mined ore follows extraction.
What is phosphate and how is it used?
Phosphate is what you get when you combine the mineral phosphorus with oxygen. When you eat certain foods — such as beans, nuts, cereal, milk, eggs, beef, chicken, and fish — phosphorous enters your intestines. When it meets up with oxygen, it becomes phosphate. Most phosphates team up with calcium to build and repair your bones and teeth.
Phosphates are the naturally occurring form of the element phosphorus , found in many phosphate minerals. In mineralogy and geology, phosphate refers to a rock or ore containing phosphate ions. Inorganic phosphates are mined to obtain phosphorus for use in agriculture and industry. The largest global producer and exporter of phosphates is Morocco.