The precipitation of magnesium potassium phosphate hexahydrate for P and K recovery from synthetic urine

Nutrients recovery from urine to close the nutrient loop is one of the most attractive benefits of source separation in wastewater management. The current study presents an investigation of the thermodynamic modeling of the recovery of P and K from synthetic urine via the precipitation of magnesium potassium phosphate hexahydrate (MPP). Experimental results show that maximum recovery efficiencies of P and K reached 99% and 33%, respectively, when the precipitation process was initiated only through adding dissolvable Mg compound source. pH level and molar ratio of Mg:P were key factors determining the nutrient recovery efficiencies. Precipitation equilibrium of MPP and magnesium sodium phosphate heptahydrate (MSP) was confirmed via precipitates analysis using a Scanning Electron Microscope/Energy Dispersive Spectrometer and an X-ray Diffractometer. Then, the standard solubility products of MPP and MSP in the synthetic urine were estimated to be 10−12.2 ± 0.0.253 and 10−11.6 ± 0.253, respectively. The thermodynamic model formulated on chemical software PHREEQC could well fit the experimental results via comparing the simulated and measured concentrations of K and P in equilibrium. Precipitation potentials of three struvite-type compounds were calculated through thermodynamic modeling. Magnesium ammonium phosphate hexahydrate (MAP) has a much higher tendency to precipitate than MPP and MSP in normal urine while MSP was the main inhibitor of MPP in ammonium-removed urine. To optimize the K recovery, ammonium should be removed prior as much as possible and an alternative alkaline compound should be explored for pH adjustment rather than NaOH. [Display omitted] •MPP and MSP were dominating precipitates at pH of 8.5–11.5 and Mg:P ratio of 0.6–1.4.•Solubility product of MPP and MSP was estimated as 10−12.2 and 10−11.6, respectively.•The thermodynamic model formulated on PHREEQC well simulated the recovery of P and K.•Precipitation potentials were calculated and compared for optimizing the K recovery.