Chemical and physical evaluations of commercial dicalcium phosphates as sources of phosphorus in animal nutrition.

Seven samples of commercial dicalcium phosphate, expected to contain variable amounts of monocalcium phosphate, from five established producers in Brazil and two in the United States, were evaluated and compared with a purified grade calcium phosphate dibasic dihydrate used as a reference standard. All samples were submitted to a wide range of tests at seven laboratories. Each determination was performed at least at two different laboratories, except for moisture, insoluble residue, loss on ignition, and x-ray diffraction assays, obtained from one single laboratory. All phosphate samples studied were in compliance with the manufacturer's levels of guarantee, except for three samples that were slightly out of specification (Ca, P, and F). Particle size patterns were variable, allowing for a classification of two products as "coarse", three as "fine", and three as "irregular". Phosphorus solubility in 2% citric acid ranged from 85.9 to 97.6%, pH from 3.2 to 6.1, and apparent density from 572 to 967 g/L. Atomic absorption or plasma emission spectrometry concentrations (average parts per million) for Al (3,200), As (10), B (14), Ba (165), Bi (< .1), Cd (6), Cr (57), Co (11), Cu (28), Fe (7,515), Hg (< .2), Mg (11,300), Mn (367), Mo (6), Ni (25), Pb (17), Se (< .5), Sb (1.3), Th (19), U (51), V (134), W (< 5), and Zn (152) were safe for all phosphates as compared to NRC standards. X-ray diffraction detected CaCO3 and impurities for all commercial samples, dolomite for three phosphates. Monocalcium phosphate was found in four samples. Aluminum salts present were identified as the low solubility, low toxicity silicates, and phosphates.