Application of Microwave Technology to the Heat Treatment of Natural Youssoufia (Morocco) Phosphates

Abstract

Microwave heating and conventional heating were used in the drying process of white phosphates and the pyrolysis of black phosphate. Microwave drying has been found to present faster kinetics, and the reaction mechanism is controlled by interfacial progression with a cylindrical symmetry for low powers and by diffusion for high microwave powers. Infrared thermography analysis shows that the heating mode is a function of the incident microwave power, the diameter of the reactor and the initial mass of the sample. The results of this study allowed us to understand the phenomena occurring during the microwave pyrolysis of black phosphate. Three temperature domains were revealed. Heating is attributed to the relaxation of polar molecules (water, polar organic molecules…) and to conduction losses of the different components of the phosphates and the products resulting from the decomposition of the mineral matrix as well as the carbon in the residues. Dielectric measurements at microwave frequencies showed that the dielectric constants (ε’ and ε”) decrease with time and reach values that are independent of the humidity of the phosphates, which correspond to the complete desorption of water. Cracks were observed in the microwave pyrolysis residues which also showed better cristallinity as revealed by SEM observation and XRD analysis. XPS analysis revealed for the fist time that the microwave pyrolysis residues contain less carbon than the residues of conventional heating, i.e. more oil is produced by microwave pyrolysis.

Key Words:

• Microwave drying
• conventional heating
• pyrolysis
• microwave power
• white phosphate
• black phosphate
• humidity
• microwave-organic matter interaction
• oil
• residues
• dielectric constants