Phosphate sorption of calcined materials used as components of soilless root media characterized in laboratory studies

Abstract

Calcined materials may contribute enhanced phosphate (PO4-P) retention to soilless root media used in container production. Properties of nutrient retention vary greatly depending on the parent clay and calcining treatment. This research characterized PO4-P sorption of various calcined clay products, including low and regular volatile material (LVM and RVM) 2:1 attapulgite, montmorillonite, and illite clays at various particle sizes; 1:1 kaolin clays in powder form; and diatomaceous earth. Extractable PO4-P, initial pH, PO4-P sorption isotherms, amount of P sorbed as a function of solution pH at a fixed total concentration, and degree of phosphorus saturation were determined. Initial pH of the clays ranged from 3.7 to 8.7. Sorption isotherms were conducted with initial adsorbate concentrations ranging from 0 to 200 mg·L-1 PO4-P from KH2PO4. The calcined materials varied in their ability to sorb PO4-P and generally yielded L-type isotherms, indicating that the adsorbate had relatively high affinity for the calcined material sample surface at low surface coverage. Some 2:1 calcined clays exhibited substantial PO 4-P retention, but 1:1 calcined clays and diatomaceous earth did not. Clays with less moisture (LVM) resulted in greater PO4-P sorption than those calcined at lower temperatures (RVM). Terra Green montmorillonites had higher PO4-P sorption than Terra Green attapulgites. Laboratory results indicated potential for substantive PO4-P retention by several of the calcined clay materials when used in container production. For most materials, PO4-P sorption did not show pronounced pH dependence, which suggests that PO4-P retention is not influenced by pH-dependent charge within the pH range of container production.