Operating system

Engineering

Business

Marketing

Organic chemistry

Chemistry

Metallurgy

Materials science

Crystallization

Process engineering

Phosphate

Struvite

Commercialization

Environmental science

Computer science

Chemical engineering

Phosphorus

Pulp and paper industry

Waste management

Sewage treatment

Environmental engineering

Wastewater

Process (computing)

Journal of Environmental Management

Phosphorus is an essential element for life and is predicted to deplete within the next 100 years. Struvite crystallization is a potential phosphorus recovery technique to mitigate this problem by producing a slow release fertilizer. However, complex wastewater composition and a large number of process variables result in process uncertainties, making the process difficult to predict and control. This paper reviews the research progress on struvite crystallization fundamentals to address this challenge. The influence of manipulated variables (e.g. seed material, magnesium dosage and pH) and sources of variation on phosphorus removal efficiency (e.g. organics and heavy metal concentration) and product purity were investigated. Recently developed models to describe, control and optimize those variables were also discussed. This review helps to identify potential challenges in different wastewater streams and provide valuable information for future phosphorus recovery unit design. It therefore paves the way for commercialization of struvite crystallization in the future.

Phosphorus recovery through struvite crystallisation: Recent developments in the understanding of operational factors