Reducing Organic Impurities in Phosphoric Acid Production

ICL Group, a leading producer of phosphoric acid for chemical manufacturing, is seeking novel and mature solutions to remove or treat organic impurities from the phosphoric acid production process. Approaches that target all stages of the manufacturing process are in scope, including mining and beneficiation of phosphate rock, acid production, and post-processing, with the earlier stages being highest priority. Solutions should reduce the organic content in merchant grade phosphoric acid to industry-acceptable levels. 

Approaches of Interest:

• The impurities of highest interest are organic impurities, mainly humic acid and fulvic acid
• Solutions need to be able to work in harsh conditions and be able to withstand dust, fluorine, high temperatures, and high acidity
• Solutions that are cost effective, scalable for large industrial plants, and are environmentally sustainable are of highest priority 
• Processes that use catalysts are in scope 

Out of Scope:

• Approaches that aren’t cost effective at industrial scale 
• Approaches that can’t withstand the harsh operational conditions (e.g. UV-based) 

Developmental Stages of Interest:

• Opportunities must have at least pilot-scale proof of concept (TRL 5), better to have even higher as the idea is to implement the solution quickly and initiate the industrial project by Q4, 2026 
• Priority will be given to later stage solutions with demonstrated efficacy in operational environments 

Submission Information

Submission of one-page, 200–300-word briefs is encouraged, along with any optional supplementary information e.g. relevant publications. Submissions should provide a clear description of the technology and proof-of-concept data. Submissions that also include cost estimates will be prioritized. This campaign is open to submissions from SMEs and start-up companies. In submitting to this campaign, you confirm that your submission contains only non-confidential information. 

Opportunity for Collaboration

Our client is open to a range of collaboration opportunities, with the most appropriate outcome being decided on a case-by-case basis. Example outcomes include licensing assets, service agreements, or ongoing collaborations.