Impact of the Roller Press Briquetting Process on the Morphological and Mechanical Properties of Apatite Ore

• Published in: Materials Vol. 18; no. 7; p. 1442
• Main Authors: Bembenek, Michał, Dmytriv, Vasyl, Kowalski, Łukasz, Turniak, Krzysztof, Frocisz, Łukasz, Niyazbekova, Rimma, Krawczyk, Janusz
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 25.03.2025
• Subjects: Analysis; Apatite; Bearing materials; Briquets; Briquetting; Cadmium; Energy consumption; Fertilizers; Fluorapatite; Hardness; High density; Hydroxyapatite; Manufacturing; Materials handling; Mechanical properties; Metal forming; Moisture content; Optical microscopy; Phosphorus; Polarized light; Porosity; Productivity; Raw materials; Roller presses; Sintering; Surface roughness; X-ray spectroscopy; Poland; Kazakhstan; United States; apatite; briquetting; compaction; agglomeration; phosphorite rock
• ISSN: 1996-1944; 1996-1944
• DOI: 10.3390/ma18071442

In this study, the authors investigated the briquetting of hydroxyapatite and fluorapatite rock material and evaluated the properties of briquettes prepared in a roller press. This was conducted 10 years after the manufacturing process took place. These rocks are a primary source of the mineral phosphorus, for which demand is high, particularly in agriculture. The proper handling of the material in the industry is required due to its high environmental impact. In order to correctly identify the subject of this study, the authors analyzed its composition using energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and polarized light microscopy. Afterwards, the authors analyzed the properties of the saddle-shaped briquettes, including their surface roughness (Ra, Rq, Rt), surface Leeb hardness distribution, porosity and density. The briquettes exhibited relatively large Ra values (mean 9.67 µm). The highest hardness was registered at the specimen center (61 HV5), whereas the lowest was at the edge (25 HV5). A high density of 2.51 g/cm3 was achieved in the process. It was possible to obtain saddle-shaped briquettes with reproductible properties, high density (porosity of 21%) and durability without using a binder additive. The study demonstrated that roller press briquetting can be successfully utilized as a method for compacting phosphate-bearing materials for the purpose of storage transportation and further processing.