Process & contact
Member ESPP
https://technophos.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/technophos/
Contact: Nikolay Todorov, 
Updated 06/2026
Technophos provides an extensive piloting facility for on-demand process development and specializes in phosphate recovery.
Input materials
The following input materials can be processed in the Technophos installations, the list is not exhaustive:
- Ash(es)
- Clarified liquor (filtrate/concentrate)
- Mining waste (phosphogypsum, tailings, slimes…)
- Phosphate ores (low grade to high grade)
Others, if compatible with installations’ construction materials: on demand.
Output products
A non-exhaustive list is provide below based on experience. The output materials are dependant of the process/technology applied.
Dicalcium phosphate dihydrate
- Solid with water content: typically < 5% (free water)
- TOC: typically < 0.1%
- Contaminant levels: typical < 10 ppm per heavy metal (Hg < 0.05 ppm)
- Levels of iron and aluminium: typically < 0.1 %
- Content of phosphorus: typically 18% as P
Phosphoric acid
- Liquid with 35-78% H3PO4
- Contents of heavy metals, Al, Fe and organics: process dependent
Chemically beneficiated phosphate ores
- Solid with water content <10%
- Contents of heavy metals, Al, Fe and organics: process dependent
Gypsum and phosphogypsum
- Solid with water content <10%
- Contents of heavy metals, Al, Fe and organics: process dependent
- A pure gypsum of < 50 mg/kg heavy metals, Fe, Al, P and <100 mg/kg TOC has also been produced
Process description
Technophos’ R&D installations are not limited to a single process but provide several options. The company offers facilities with several pilot and semi-industrial units (see Column Operating status) that can handle different processes and raw materials.
Technophos operates as a research, development, and scale-up center and is therefore not limited to a single fixed industrial process. The installations are designed to be flexible, enabling the development, testing, and optimization of a wide range of chemical and metallurgical processes, depending on the specific requirements of each project and the nature of the input materials.
The infrastructure includes fully operational laboratory, pilot, and semi-industrial units, which allow us to replicate and validate different process routes. Typical process stages may include raw material conditioning (e.g. crushing, milling, classification), thermochemical or hydrometallurgical treatment (e.g. leaching, precipitation, crystallization), solid-liquid separation, purification, and product finishing. These steps are adapted and combined on a case-by-case to achieve the desired technical and economic outcomes.
Regarding pathogen removal, where relevant (e.g. in processes involving secondary raw materials), thermal treatments and/or chemical conditions (such as controlled pH and residence time) are applied to ensure effective sanitization. Specific temperature and time conditions depend on the process configuration but are defined to meet applicable safety and regulatory requirements.
The fate of contaminants (including heavy metals, iron, and aluminium) is a key focus of our process development activities. Depending on the input material and selected process route:
- Contaminants are typically separated through selective precipitation, phase partitioning, or immobilization steps.
- A significant share of impurities can be removed from the main product stream and directed into secondary streams or stabilized phases.
As an R&D facility, exact removal efficiencies vary widely depending on the feedstock and process design, but optimization of impurity removal and product purity is a core objective in each project.
Regarding energy use, our pilot and semi-industrial operations are designed to generate representative data for scale-up. Energy consumption depends on the selected process, but our work consistently focuses on process optimization, energy efficiency, and minimizing environmental footprint. Where relevant, opportunities for energy integration or recovery are also assessed.
Operating status
Technophos has several R&D pilot and semi-industrial installations allowing smooth scale-up solution for various processes.
Installations are located in Devnya, Bulgaria
Processing of solid raw materials
Pilot 1: Modular Pilot for process validation and demonstration; continuous operation.
Capacity Input: 1-3 kg/h (as DM). Product output: process dependent. In operation: since 2017. Total continuous operation time: 20 weeks (24/5) on average per year
Pilot 2: Pilot for phosphoric acid process validation and demonstration. Continuous operation. Capacity Input: 3-5 kg/h (as DM). Product output: 1-2 kg/h as P2O5. In operation since 2023. Total continuous operation time: 15 weeks (24/5) on average per year
Semi-industrial Pilot 1: Continuous operation. Capacity Input: 100-500 kg/h (as DM). Product output: 100-300 kg/h. In operation since 2013. Total continuous operation time: 9 weeks (24/5) on average per year
Purification of acid liquid streams
Pilot 3 and 4: Membrane filtration – one unit is compatible with phosphate containing acid streams, the other with hydrochloric acid streams. Batch operation, capacity: 80 resp. 50 litres/batch.
Semi-industrial Pilot 2: Membrane filtration – compatible with phosphate containing acid streams, suitable for continuous operation (2 m3/h)
Pilot 5: Ion Exchange Pilot suitable for continuous operation (30 l/h).
Drying & granulation units
Pilot 6: Pilot installation for drying of wet products. Continuous operation, 10-80 kg/h input.
Semi-industrial Pilot 3: Dryer and granulator. Continuous operation, 300 kg/h input.