Abstract:
This thesis compnses a combination of fundamental and applied research on aspects of
zirconium and phosphate chemistry of importance to the industry, covering the structure and
chemistry of zirconium sulphates, the dehydration of phosphates and the hydrolysis of
polyphosphates.
The initial purpose was the development of zirconium phosphate-based flame-retardants and
catalysts. However, during the course of the investigation it was discovered that important
aspects of zirconium and phosphate chemistry that were required for the investigation were not
available in the literature. These gaps in the basic understanding and use of this chemistry had to
be filled in order to fully exploit the potential of zirconium phosphate compounds as flameretardants
and catalysts, especially on an industrial scale. Of particular importance is the
dissolution of zirconium raw materials for purification, which is essential to obtain a zirconium
product suitable for catalytic purposes. It is, of course, well known that these materials are
highly insoluble in water, and methods were investigated whereby they could be treated. The use
of sulphates was one such method, which, in the author's opinion, is potentially one of the most
successful ones for this purpose. The chemistry and structures of zirconium sulphates are
therefore an important part of the investigation.
