Research and Quality Dept
It was established in 1974 in Russaifa to expand the Company’s production activities and building multiple joint venture projects with international companies like the Indian and Japanese companies. The objectives of having the Department are:
Developing the methods of quality upgrading of the different types of phosphate.
Researching in the appropriate Jordanian phosphate for phosphoric acid and fertilizers production.
Conducting multiple researches to maximize the use of phosphate ore and the by-products of phosphate processing.
Following up all the issues related to radio-active protection.
Controlling the quality of all Company’s products.
Coordinating with the academia and research centers that are interested in joint projects.
Assisting the universities and graduate students in their researches.
Divisions of the Research and Quality Department:
Ore Preparation Division
Conducts laboratory-based studies on the concentration of phosphate ore using multiple methods, such as:
Crushing and milling, where a Jaw Crusher and a Ball mill, in addition to other types, are available.
Sieving, where it is done using mesh-screens of different seizes. Sieving can be either dry or damped, depending on what’s required for the sample.
Floatation, where the Division is having a laboratory floatation unit to conduct different experimental tests to upgrade phosphate ratio at the ideal conditions. Floatation principle is based on the separation of the composites of the ore, considering the physiochemical properties of the surface of the different metallic particles, after adding some of the appropriate chemicals and a current of air bubbles.
Ratio Upgrading Pilot Plant Division
The Pilot Plant was built in 1980. It consists of the following units:
Physical Separation Unit, with the capacity of 5 tons/hour, to upgrade clayey phosphate ratio by stirring the sample with water, transferring the sample to a scrubber to release the clay from phosphate particles’ surface, pumping the mixture onto water cyclones to separate clay from the phosphate, where washing and separation is conducted in three stages.
Calcinations of Calcium (Lime) Phosphate, with the capacity of 1 ton/hour. This is a way of upgrading phosphate ratio by burning it at 800-900 ºC, and washing of the phosphate that cannot be upgraded by washing and/or flotation. This process, which was used for Russaifa phosphate allows calcium to be released off the phosphate particles.
Sandy Flotation Unit, with the capacity of 1 ton/hour, where samples are crushed and sieved to a size of less than 1 mm, separating the fine from the coarse particles to reduce chemicals usage during flotation, then removing the clay through stirring in water and separating it by water cyclones. After that, adding some chemicals as Tall Oil, which is produced from the waste of papers and wood industries, silica precipitant (Sodium Silicate), acidity stabilizer due to the fact that flotation is having an alkaline medium for it uses 10% sodium hydroxide, and fixing material as a fixer and enhancer to the flotation materials.
Fertilizers Development Division
This Division conducts the researches related to the Company or exploring other uses of phosphate, such as:
Producing Single Super Phosphate (SSP).
Compound fertilizers (PK).
There is a disc mill in the Division of the capacity of 1 ton/hour, where the milling size ranges from 1 mm to 0.15 mm. Also, there is a pilot plant of the feeding capacity of 12 kg/hour for producing phosphoric acid from phosphate coming from the different locations to identify the best conditions and materials to be used in the industry. Phosphoric acid is produced using different processes, mainly Prayon, Ron Pollack, and Norsk Hydro.
Phosphate Derivatives Studies and Development Division
This Division conducts multiple tasks, such as: extracting uranium from phosphoric acid on the semi-industrial scale (Micro Pilot Plant), where the method is based on mixing and settling between phosphoric acid and organic solvents, and then extracting uranium in phase water to produce the Yellow Cake. This project has been ended.
Also, the Division studies producing pure phosphoric acid for industrial and food applications, using different organic solvents to get the best results of the extraction and separation.
Quality and Laboratories Department
This Department is one of the important departments in this type of industry, and specifically, in our Company, for it has direct links with the production and its stages to have products with the specific and required standards. Its work includes helping in conducting researches and studies to achieve its objectives. The Department is divided into:
Central Laboratory : which was equipped to be an advanced lab for researches and studies. For that, it was supported with the up to date equipment and competent and trained staff.
Quality Control, with the roll of following up the quality divisions at the different locations of the Company, to include:
Following up batches and quantities dispatched from the Company’s sites to the Department.
Following up the exported products in terms of quantities and analysis results.
Following up the ships and analysis results in accordance with the contracts and importing countries.
Following up the quality of the products from different locations coming to the Exporting Department, and following up the analysis of those products and monitoring any variation in their qualities.
Following up new mining areas and studying ore materials, especially the concentrations of certain elements such as uranium, cadmium, and Arsenic.