Itafos Inc., Houston, on June 30 announced that its Conda plant in Idaho has begun production and sales of hydrofluorosilicic acid (HFSA). The company previously identified the extraction and commercialization of HFSA as an organic growth opportunity to monetize the fluoride contained in Conda’s ore.
“We are pleased to have safely and successfully completed our HFSA plant at Conda and look forward to supplying the North American market for many years to come,” said CEO G. David Delaney. “Our team did an incredible job to bring this initiative from concept to production in 18 months.”
Conda’s existing phosphoric acid evaporation process was modified so as to have the capacity to extract up to 30,000 wet st/y of HFSA. The modifications were completed as part of Conda’s scheduled plant turnaround during 2022.
Following completion of the modifications and turnaround, Itafos said Conda returned to full production capacity. It also began production of HFSA and has completed its first commercial delivery of the new product under a long-term offtake agreement. The company announced a long-term agreement with Pencco Inc., Sealy, Texas, last fall (GM Sept. 10, 2021). HFSA is commonly used for water fluoridation at water treatment plants.