Preparation of Gypsum–Urea with Enhanced Sustainability from Flue Gas Desulfurization Gypsum in Saturated Urea Solution

Jia, Caiyun; Zhao, Jiang; Fang, Xiaoxia; Wang, Pujun; Xiao, Anni; Zhang, Haijun

doi:10.3390/su16146208

Open AccessArticle

Preparation of Gypsum–Urea with Enhanced Sustainability from Flue Gas Desulfurization Gypsum in Saturated Urea Solution

by

Caiyun Jia

^1,2,3,*

,

Jiang Zhao

^1,2,3,

Xiaoxia Fang

^1,2,3,

Pujun Wang

^1,2,3,

Anni Xiao

^1,2,3 and

Haijun Zhang

^1,2,3,*

¹

School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China

²

State Key Laboratory of Coking Coal Resources Green Exploitation, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China

³

National Engineering Research Center of Coal Preparation and Purification, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China

^*

Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Sustainability 2024, 16(14), 6208; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16146208

Submission received: 8 June 2024 / Revised: 2 July 2024 / Accepted: 12 July 2024 / Published: 20 July 2024

(This article belongs to the Topic Advances in Sustainable Materials and Products)

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Abstract

Gypsum–urea is a kind of urea product with substantially reduced aqueous solubility and lower hygroscopicity that increases the soil retention time of urea and thus enhance its environmental sustainability. Here, gypsum–urea was prepared using bulk industrial solid waste flue gas desulfurization (FGD) gypsum as a raw material in a saturated urea solution via immobilizing urea molecules into the crystal lattice. The preparation process was achieved through a dissolution–recrystallization mechanism during which FGD gypsum dissolved into Ca²⁺ and SO₄²⁻, which then recrystallized with CO(NH₂)₂ to form gypsum–urea. The preparation process was almost completed within 10 min, and the formed gypsum–urea presented a uniform size distribution of 30–90 μm and a much lower hygroscopicity and nitrogen release efficiency than that of urea. With a high efficiency of synthesis, and sustainable features, and the recyclability of the saturated mother urea solution, the dissolution–recrystallization-based urea immobilization approach is highly promising regarding the preparation of gypsum–urea with the desired environmental sustainability and contributes to the realization of the sustainable reutilization of FGD gypsum.

Keywords: urea; FGD gypsum; gypsum–urea; hygroscopicity; sustainability

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MDPI and ACS Style

Jia, C.; Zhao, J.; Fang, X.; Wang, P.; Xiao, A.; Zhang, H. Preparation of Gypsum–Urea with Enhanced Sustainability from Flue Gas Desulfurization Gypsum in Saturated Urea Solution. Sustainability 2024, 16, 6208. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16146208

AMA Style

Jia C, Zhao J, Fang X, Wang P, Xiao A, Zhang H. Preparation of Gypsum–Urea with Enhanced Sustainability from Flue Gas Desulfurization Gypsum in Saturated Urea Solution. Sustainability. 2024; 16(14):6208. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16146208

Chicago/Turabian Style

Jia, Caiyun, Jiang Zhao, Xiaoxia Fang, Pujun Wang, Anni Xiao, and Haijun Zhang. 2024. "Preparation of Gypsum–Urea with Enhanced Sustainability from Flue Gas Desulfurization Gypsum in Saturated Urea Solution" Sustainability 16, no. 14: 6208. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16146208

APA Style

Jia, C., Zhao, J., Fang, X., Wang, P., Xiao, A., & Zhang, H. (2024). Preparation of Gypsum–Urea with Enhanced Sustainability from Flue Gas Desulfurization Gypsum in Saturated Urea Solution. Sustainability, 16(14), 6208. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16146208

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Preparation of Gypsum–Urea with Enhanced Sustainability from Flue Gas Desulfurization Gypsum in Saturated Urea Solution

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