title: Struvite precipitation from urine - Influencing factors on particle size.
abstract: Struvite crystallisation is a fast and reliable phosphorus removal and recovery process for concentrated waste streams - such as hydrolysed human urine. In order to optimise P-elimination efficiency, it is beneficial to obtain larger particle sizes: they are easier to separate and less prone to wash-out than smaller particles. This paper presents the results of a study on the effect of process parameters on particle size in a single step struvite precipitation. Crystals formed in batch experiments with real hydrolysed urine were shown to have an average size of >90 microm at pH 9 and 20 degrees C. This is reduced to 45 microm when changing stirrer type. Particle size increases with lower supersaturation. The results showed that under otherwise constant conditions, particle size decreases with lower temperature and has a minimum between pH 9 and 10. Deviating trends are observed at pH <8. Struvite formation in a CSTR (continuously stirred tank reactor) process was shown to be a reliable stable process that does not require any pH control. A method based on conductivity measurement is presented to estimate ionic strength, which is needed for equilibrium calculations.
authors.affiliation: UNESCO - IHE Institute for Water Education, Urban water and sanitation, P.O. Box 3015, 2601 DA Delft, The Netherlands. m.ronteltap@unesco-ihe.org
authors.forename: Mariska
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ronteltap
authors.forename: Max
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maurer
authors.forename: Rainer
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hausherr
authors.forename: Willi
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Gujer
mesh_terms: D002138:Calibration; D011232:Chemical Precipitation; D003460:Crystallization; D004553:Electric Conductivity; D005374:Filtration; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D017616:Magnesium Compounds / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000652:urine*; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D009994:Osmolar Concentration; D010316:Particle Size; D010710:Phosphates / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000652:urine*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012995:Solubility; D000069877:Struvite; D013696:Temperature; D013997:Time Factors; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid
chemical_list: D017616:Magnesium Compounds; D010710:Phosphates; D000069877:Struvite