Raman spectroscopic study of phosphogypsum thermal reduction with the carbonaceous material.

Elemental sulphur (S) can be produced from hydrogen sulphide (H2S) in a PiPco or Iron process. In turn H2S can be stripped with carbon dioxide (CO2) from calcium sulphide (CaS) obtained from the thermal reduction of phosphogypsum with carbon. The reaction pathway for the thermal reduction of the phosphogypsum with graphite was studied using thermogravimetric analysis and in situ Raman spectroscopy. The dehydration of the phosphogypsum to anhydrite was completed at about 142 °C. The dehydration was followed by the formation of the intermediate compound at about 860 °C which is characterised by a mass loss of about 11%. The intermediate compound, identified using the in situ Raman spectroscopy to be a dehydrated orschallite-type compound (Ca3[SO4][SO3]2), converted to CaS at about 935 °C. The presence of the metal impurities in the phosphogypsum: Ni(2+)(4 mg kg(-1)); Co(2+)(2 mg kg(-1)); Mn(2+)(5 mg kg(-1)); Cu(2+)(14 mg kg(-1)); Fe(2+)(200 mg kg(-1)) and Mg(2+)(300 mg kg(-1)) showed no influence the onset temperature for the reduction reaction.