Continuous process for preparing ammonium phosphate

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR PREPARING AQUEOUS AMMONIUM PHOSPHATE WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF CONTINUOUSLY PASSING AMMONIA AND CRUDE WET-PROCESS PHOSPHORICA ACID CONTAINING NORMALLY INCIDENT IMPURITIES WHICH PRECIPITATE AS SOLIDS UPON TREATMENT OF SAID ACID WITH AMMONIA INTO A FIRST REACTION ZONE WHEREIN SAID AMMONIA AND SAID ACID ARE SUBJECTED TO A TEMPERATURE BETWEEN ABOUT 200* AND ABOUT 215*F. FOR A PERIOD OF TIME BETWEEN ABOUT 0.25 AND ABOUT 1.25 HOURS, THE AMOUNT OF AMMONIA INTRODUCED INTO SAID FIRST REACTION ZONE BEING SUCH THAT THE PRODUCT FORMED THEREIN HAS A PH VALUE BETWEEN ABOUT 4.0 AND ABOUT 4.2 AND THE CONCENTRATION OF P2O5 WITHIN SAID FIRST REACTION ZONE BEING MAINTAINED BETWEEN ABOUT 20 AND ABOUT 30 PERCENT BY WEIGHT; CONTINUOUSLY WITHDRAWING THE PRODUCT FORMED IN SAID FIRST REACTION ZONE; CONTINUOUSLY PASSING SAID PRODUCT AND ADDITIONAL AMMONIA INTO A SECOND REACTION ZONE WHEREIN SAID PRODUCT AND AMMONIA ARE SUBJECTED TO A TEMPERATURE BETWEEN ABOUT 200* AND ABOUT 215*F. FOR A PERIOD OF TIME BETWEEN ABOUT 0.25 AND ABOUT 1.25 HOURS, THE AMOUNT OF AMMONIA BEING INTRODUCED INTO SAID SECOND REACTION ZONE BEING SUCH THAT THE PRODUCT FORMED THEREIN HAS A PH VALUE BETWEEN ABOUT 6.3 AND ABOUT 6.7; CONTINUOUSLY WITHDRAWING SAID PRODUCT FROM SAID SECOND REACTION ZONE; AND CONTROLLING THE LOSS OF WATER DURING SAID STEPS SO AS TO AVOID THE FORMATION OF SOLID CRYSTALLINE AMMONIUM PHOSPHATE.