Mosaic Florida Facts - Phosphate Information

FAQs

The questions we are often asked about phosphate mining and fertilizer manufacturing cover a broad range of topics - from what phosphate is to what plans Mosaic has for future mining. We hope your questions are among these we are frequently asked.

Proposed Phosphate Mining

Water Use

Economic Impact

Phosphate Information

Phosphate Information

How was phosphate formed?

	More than 15 million years ago, Florida was under water. Water currents flowed across the sea floor. The colder waters closest to the sea floor were rich in phosphate and other vital nutrients.
	10-15 million years ago, the sea floor rose up, forming the "Ocala Arch." Water currents were deflected upwards. The deeper water flowed to the surface, called an "upwelling."
	The upwelling brought the phosphate and other nutrients to the surface. This nutrient-rich water encouraged major biologic growth of plant and marine life.
	Phosphorous-rich water, bones, teeth and animal waste settled onto the sea floor and mixed with deposits of sand and clay.
	Over time, the sea level dropped and sandy sediment covered the mix of phosphate, sand and clay deposited below. Today, there is approximately 15-50 feet of sandy soil covering this three-

How is phosphate used?

About 95% of the phosphate rock mined in Florida is used in agriculture, 90% in fertilizer and 5% as feed supplements for livestock. The rest is added to many products you use daily including soft drinks, toothpaste, gum, bone china, film, light bulbs, vitamins, flame-resistant fabrics, optical glass, shaving cream and detergents.

How is phosphate recovered?

Phosphate rock is usually found about 15-50 feet beneath the ground in a mixture of phosphate pebbles, sand and clay known as phosphate matrix. The sandy layer above the matrix, called the overburden, is removed using electrically operated draglines. Equipped with large buckets, these draglines remove the overburden, placing it in the previously mined voids and excavate the matrix, depositing it into a shallow containment area or slurry pit. There, high-pressure water guns turn the material into a watery mixture called slurry, which is sent through pipelines to a processing facility, referred to as a beneficiation plant, where phosphate rock is physically separated from the sand and clay mixture.

At the plant, the slurry is moved through a series of washing stations that physically separate clay, sand and pebble-sized particles. The separated phosphate pebbles are moved through de-watering tanks and onto an inventory pile via conveyor belt. The clay particles are then pumped through pipelines into storage ponds (clay settling areas) where the clay sinks to the bottom. These ponds function as reservoirs and help Mosaic recycle or reuse approximately 95% of all the water used in phosphate mining and beneficiation, and also support a variety of wildlife.

The smallest particles of sand and phosphate are further separated at a flotation plant. The sand is returned by pipeline to the mine area for use in land reclamation, while the phosphate concentrate is sent to de-watering tanks and then to the inventory pile. The phosphate minerals are then transported by rail to a separate manufacturing plant and transformed into finished fertilizer products.

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Isn’t phosphate mining and fertilizer manufacturing the same thing?

No. They are actually very different. Phosphate mining involves extraction of the mineral from the earth. Manufacturing involves turning phosphate minerals into a water-soluble form of fertilizer that plants can use for nourishment. Find out more About Phosphate.

Why do we need commercial fertilizers?

Top universities tell us that 2 billion people would starve without commercial fertilizers. Simply put, these fertilizers are not a luxury but an absolute necessity. Plants need large amounts of three nutrients - nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Fertilizers replace these essential nutrients as crops use them. Farming technology and fertilizer play a key role in maximizing crop yields. By maintaining high crop yields on the farm land we have, we can preserve other land for parks, recreation areas and wildlife habitats.

With 6.5 billion people worldwide and estimates that it will grow to 8.5 billion by 2040, farming technology and fertilizer are absolutely necessary in order to maintain our abundant food supply. While people in other countries spend between 15% and 50% of their income for food, U.S. citizens spend only about 10%. Much of this abundance can be directly traced to efficient use of commercial fertilizers. Florida supplies 70% of America's phosphate rock supply.

How does phosphate rock become fertilizer?

In order to be used as crop nutrients or animal feed, phosphate rock must be converted to a water-soluble form. This process begins when the rock is finely ground to uniform size. Sulfuric acid is then added to form phosphoric acid, which is concentrated through evaporation, reacted with ammonia and granulated to produce two important phosphate/nitrogen crop nutrients - diammonium phosphate (DAP) and monoammonium phosphate (MAP). These products are later blended to form the nutrients commonly found on bags of lawn fertilizer (e.g., 10-10-10), representing levels of nitrogen, water-soluble phosphorous and potassium.

Phosphoric acid is also used to manufacture monocalcium and dicalcium phosphate products, which are sold to the animal feed ingredient industry for use in swine, poultry and cattle feed. Click here to learn more about Mosaic's products.

There's more to the manufacturing story than just fertilizer and animal feed. Mosaic is one of the largest renewable energy producers in Florida, generating enough "clean and green" energy to power 100,000 homes. Click here to learn more about cogeneration and Mosaic's green practices.

Can’t we use organic fertilizer or sludge instead of mining for phosphate?

While manure plays a vital role in today's agriculture, organic fertilizer is not enough. All the recoverable manure produced in this country provides only about 30% of the phosphorus needed to replace the phosphorus removed by crops. If all the sewage sludge produced in the United States were also used in agriculture, it would provide about 5% of the phosphorus needed. This is not nearly enough to maintain the fertility of the soils our farmers depend on everyday for their living, and that you and I depend on everyday for our food supply.