PHOSave · Project

Turning Spent Fire Extinguisher Powder Into Fertilizer and Flame Retardant Raw Materials

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You know those red fire extinguishers hanging on walls everywhere? The powder inside them expires and becomes hazardous waste that's expensive to dispose of. PHOSave figured out how to dissolve that waste powder and pull out the phosphorus — a non-renewable resource we desperately need for fertilizers. They got it to 95% purity in the lab and built a pilot plant in Italy to prove it works at industrial scale.

By the numbers

95%

Phosphorus purity achieved at lab scale

100g

Sample of magnetic materials from functionalized nanoparticles

First industrial-level plant of its kind in the world

Total project deliverables completed

The business problem

What needed solving

Europe depends heavily on imported phosphate rock — a finite, non-renewable resource critical for fertilizers and industrial chemicals. At the same time, millions of kilograms of exhausted fire extinguisher powder containing valuable phosphorus are classified as special waste and sent to costly disposal every year. No industrial-scale solution existed to recover this phosphate until now.

The solution

What was built

The project built a pilot plant for treating exhausted extinguishing powder and recovering phosphate (Deliverable D5.3). They also produced magnetic materials from functionalized nanoparticles — a sample of at least 100g (Deliverable D3.2). The process achieves 95% phosphorus purity at lab scale and includes a method for removing the oil component from spent powders.

Audience

Who needs this

Specialty fertilizer manufacturers seeking alternative phosphate sourcesFire extinguisher service companies paying high disposal fees for spent powderFlame retardant chemical producers for the wood panel industryWaste management companies handling special chemical wasteAgrochemical companies interested in circular economy raw materials

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Fertilizer & Agrochemical Manufacturing

mid-size

Target: Specialty fertilizer producers looking for alternative phosphate sources

If you are a fertilizer manufacturer dealing with rising phosphate rock prices and supply chain risks — this project developed a process to recover phosphorus at 95% purity from exhausted extinguishing powder. The recovered phosphate can be used as raw material for specialty fertilizers, giving you a domestic European source instead of relying on imports. The Italian SME behind the project has already received expressions of interest from international fertilizer and agrochemical organizations.

Fire Safety & Extinguisher Services

SME

Target: Fire extinguisher maintenance and recycling companies

If you are a fire safety service company stuck paying high disposal fees for exhausted extinguishing powder classified as special waste — this project built a pilot plant that converts that waste into valuable raw materials. Instead of paying to landfill spent powder, you could sell it as feedstock for phosphate recovery. The PHOSave process removes the oil component that has been an unsolved industrial problem until now.

Wood Panel & Building Materials

mid-size

Target: Chipboard and wood panel manufacturers needing flame retardant chemicals

If you are a wood panel producer purchasing flame retardant chemicals — this project developed a way to recover phosphate from waste extinguishing powder that can be used directly in flame retardant formulations. The recovered material at 95% purity fits into the existing flame retardant chemicals market. The project reports expressions of interest from organizations in the wood panelling sector for plant replication.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What does the recovered phosphate cost compared to conventional sources?

The project objective mentions maximizing profits and environmental aspects but does not disclose specific production costs or pricing. Based on available project data, the economic advantage comes from turning a disposal cost (special waste) into a revenue stream (recovered raw materials), effectively flipping the cost equation.

Can this process run at industrial scale?

Yes — the project built a pilot plant (Deliverable D5.3) and describes it as the first industrial-level plant of its kind constructed in the world. The project also received expressions of interest for plant replication from international organizations in fertilizers, agrochemicals, and flame retardants.

What about intellectual property and licensing?

The project was run by a single Italian SME (PROPHOS CHEMICALS) under the SME Instrument Phase 2 scheme, meaning all IP is held by that company. Based on available project data, they have received replication interest, suggesting licensing or technology transfer could be available. Contact through SciTransfer for licensing discussions.

What purity level does the recovered phosphorus reach?

The project achieved 95% phosphorus purity at lab scale. The pilot plant was built to validate this at larger throughput, though specific pilot-scale purity figures are not disclosed in the available data.

Does this comply with EU waste management regulations?

The project explicitly aims to implement new eco-sustainable waste management methods and reduce CO2 in the industrial chain. It addresses exhausted extinguishing powder which is classified as special waste under EU regulations. The process converts this waste into usable raw materials, aligning with circular economy directives.

How quickly could a company adopt this technology?

The project ran from July 2016 to June 2018 and is now closed. A pilot plant has been built and validated. Based on available project data, the technology is at pilot stage with expressions of interest already received for replication, suggesting near-term deployment readiness.

Consortium

Who built it

PHOSave is a solo venture by PROPHOS CHEMICALS, an Italian SME in the chemical industry. With 1 partner from 1 country and 100% industry participation, this is a commercially driven project — no universities or research institutes diluting the business focus. The SME Instrument Phase 2 funding confirms the EU assessed this as a close-to-market innovation with strong commercialization potential. The absence of academic partners means all know-how and IP sit with a single company ready to bring this to market or license it.

How to reach the team

PROPHOS CHEMICALS is an Italian SME specializing in phosphate chemistry. SciTransfer can facilitate a direct introduction to discuss licensing or technology partnership.

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Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore phosphate recovery from waste streams or license this pilot-proven technology? Contact SciTransfer for an introduction to the PHOSave team and a detailed technology brief.

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