Method of acidulating phosphate rocks and reaction-promoting agents therefor

Claim 1

A METHOD OF EXPEDITING AND INCREASING THE RATE OF FORMATION OF SOLUBLE PHSOPHATES DURING THE MANUFACTURE OF SUPERPHOSPHATE BY THE ACID TREATMENT OF PHOSPHATE ROCK, WHICH COMPRISES: FORMING AN AQUEOUS SOLUTION OF A REACTION-PROMOTING AGENT COMPRISING AN ALKALI METAL SALT OF A SULFONATED MIXTURE OF NAPHTHALENE AND ALKYLATED DERIVATIVES OF NAPHTHALENE, CONTAINING METHYL GROUPS AND ALKYL GROUPS WITH 8 TO 12 CARBON ATOMS; ADDING SAID AQUEOUS SOLUTION TO SULFURIC ACID TO PRODUCE A MIXTURE CONTAINING BETWEEN ABOUT 65% AND 80% ACID IN WHICH THE REACTION-PROMOTING AGENT IS ADAPTED TO FORM A HOMOGENEOUS AND FINE DISPERSION WITHOUT SEPARATION; AND BRINGING THE DISPERSION OF SULFURIC ACID AND REACTIONPROMOTING AGENT INTO CONTACT WITH PHOSPHATE ROCK IN QUANTITY SUFFICIENT TO INTRODUCE FROM ABOUT 0.25 TO 1.0 LB. OF AGENT PER TON OF SUCH ROCK, WHEREBY THE SUPERPHOSPHATE SO OBTAINED DOES NOT SET TO A HARD MASS DURING CURING.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF EXPEDITING AND INCREASING THE RATE OF FORMATION OF SOLUBLE PHSOPHATES DURING THE MANUFACTURE OF SUPERPHOSPHATE BY THE ACID TREATMENT OF PHOSPHATE ROCK, WHICH COMPRISES: FORMING AN AQUEOUS SOLUTION OF A REACTION-PROMOTING AGENT COMPRISING AN ALKALI METAL SALT OF A SULFONATED MIXTURE OF NAPHTHALENE AND ALKYLATED DERIVATIVES OF NAPHTHALENE, CONTAINING METHYL GROUPS AND ALKYL GROUPS WITH 8 TO 12 CARBON ATOMS; ADDING SAID AQUEOUS SOLUTION TO SULFURIC ACID TO PRODUCE A MIXTURE CONTAINING BETWEEN ABOUT 65% AND 80% ACID IN WHICH THE REACTION-PROMOTING AGENT IS ADAPTED TO FORM A HOMOGENEOUS AND FINE DISPERSION WITHOUT SEPARATION; AND BRINGING THE DISPERSION OF SULFURIC ACID AND REACTIONPROMOTING AGENT INTO CONTACT WITH PHOSPHATE ROCK IN QUANTITY SUFFICIENT TO INTRODUCE FROM ABOUT 0.25 TO 1.0 LB. OF AGENT PER TON OF SUCH ROCK, WHEREBY THE SUPERPHOSPHATE SO OBTAINED DOES NOT SET TO A HARD MASS DURING CURING.