Battery Grade 36% Ferric Phosphate CAS 10045-86-0

What is ferric phosphate? How does it work? What are all its uses?

What is Ferric phosphate? How does it work?

Ferric phosphate, also known as iron phosphate or ferric phosphate, is an iron salt composed of ferric ions and phosphate groups. Its chemical formula is FePO4, and its CAS number is 10045-86-0. It is a white to light pink crystalline powder, almost insoluble in water, with a stable structure consisting of an iron-phosphorus-oxygen three-dimensional framework. This stability allows it to gently supplement iron in food and feed, serve as the framework and raw material for lithium iron phosphate cathode materials, and also play a role in catalysis and rust prevention.

Basic information : Chinese name: Ferric phosphate (also known as orthophosphate, ferric phosphate); English name: Ferric phosphate (also known as Iron(III) phosphate); CAS number: 10045-86-0; Molecular formula: FePO4; Molecular weight: 150.82 (186.85 for FePO4·2H2O dihydrate); Melting point: approximately 1000℃; Almost insoluble in water and ethanol, soluble in inorganic acids such as hydrochloric acid and sulfuric acid; Other names: orthophosphate, ferric phosphate, iron(III) phosphate, etc.

Structurally , iron phosphate is composed of ferric ions Fe³⁺ and phosphate ions PO₄³⁻, with ferric octahedra and phosphoric oxytetrahedra connected by shared angular oxygen atoms to form a three-dimensional framework. It exists in various crystal forms, including α-quartz-like structures, monoclinic structures, and amorphous forms. The common hydrated form is the dihydrate FePO₄·2H₂O. Different crystal forms have slight differences in solubility and thermal stability, and different applications require different purity, particle size, and crystal form.

physical properties , ferric phosphate is a white, grayish-white, or light pink crystalline powder; it is almost insoluble in cold water and ethanol, but soluble in inorganic acids such as hydrochloric acid and sulfuric acid; its density is about 2.74-2.87 g/cm³; its melting point is about 1000℃; it has no tendency to absorb moisture and deliquesce, is stable when stored at room temperature, and can be made into different forms such as ordinary powder and nanoparticles.

Chemically , ferric phosphate is a stable trivalent iron salt: iron exists in the trivalent form, is not easily oxidized in air, and its iron content remains stable over a long period of time; it is almost insoluble in water, but gradually dissolves in acidic media; it reacts with strong bases to form ferric hydroxide precipitate; it is heat-resistant and structurally stable at high temperatures; its surface activity varies significantly with different particle sizes and crystal forms, with the nano-form exhibiting stronger reactivity.

Why does ferric phosphate play these roles in food fortification, feed nutrition, battery materials, and industrial catalysis? Its mechanisms of action mainly include the following:

The mechanism of stable iron supply from ferric iron : Ferric iron is stable in the air and is not easily oxidized, so its iron content is not lost over a long period of time; after entering the body, it participates in hemoglobin synthesis and metabolism, which is the common basis for its iron supplementation in food and feed.

The structural mechanism of polyanionic framework : phosphorus-oxygen tetrahedra and ferrite polyhedra share angular oxygen to form a three-dimensional framework. Strong covalent bonds bring the characteristics of heat resistance, structural stability and small volume change of lithium insertion and extraction, which is the structural basis for its use as a battery cathode material framework.

Low solubility and slow release mechanism : Ferric phosphate is almost insoluble in water and gradually dissolves in acidic environments, allowing iron to be released steadily in the body, which is gentle on the gastrointestinal tract and also keeps the material inert and stable in storage and use environments.

Surface catalytic activity mechanism : Nanoscale iron phosphate has a large specific surface area and high surface iron site activity, which can serve as a catalytic center for redox reactions, enabling selective catalysis of specific substrates.

Passivation film formation and corrosion prevention mechanism : The phosphate ions released during the hydrolysis of iron phosphate can react with iron ions on the metal surface to form a dense passivation film, which isolates air and moisture, thereby preventing steel from rusting.

All uses of Ferric phosphate

1. Food and Nutritional Fortification Field

Infant formula and complementary foods

It provides a stable source of iron for milk powder and rice cereal, preventing iron-deficiency anemia in infants and young children.

Corresponding products: infant formula, infant rice cereal, complementary food powder, etc.

Grains and Baked Goods

Fortify the iron content of grain products such as flour, bread, and oatmeal.

Corresponding products: fortified flour, bread, breakfast cereals, biscuits, etc.

Dietary supplements and health foods

It can be used as a mild source of iron in iron supplements.

Corresponding products: iron supplement tablets, multivitamin and mineral tablets, iron capsules, etc.

Special dietary foods

Iron fortification in meal replacement powders and foods for special medical purposes.

Corresponding products: meal replacement powder, complete nutritional formula powder, energy bars, etc.

2. Feed and Animal Nutrition

Livestock and Aquatic Feed

Supplementing livestock, poultry, and aquatic animals with iron helps ensure their growth and development.

Corresponding products: livestock and poultry compound feed, aquatic feed, feed premix, etc.

Pet food

Supplement iron in pet food for dogs, cats, and other animals.

Corresponding products: pet dry food, pet snacks, etc.

3. Battery and New Energy Field

lithium iron phosphate cathode material precursor

Lithium iron phosphate, synthesized at high temperatures with lithium sources, is a key raw material for cathode materials in power and energy storage batteries.

Corresponding products: lithium iron phosphate cathode materials, power battery cells, etc.

power battery

Power batteries for electric vehicles, electric two-wheelers, etc., with long cycle life and high safety.

Corresponding products: batteries for electric vehicles, batteries for electric two-wheelers, batteries for special vehicles, etc.

Energy storage battery

Battery cells for grid-connected energy storage, residential energy storage, and portable power supplies.

Corresponding products: energy storage cells, home energy storage batteries, portable power stations, etc.

4. Catalysis and Chemical Engineering

Dehydrogenation catalyst

Nano-sized iron phosphate catalyzes selective dehydrogenation reaction.

Corresponding products: dehydrogenation catalysts, selective oxidation catalysts, etc.

Organic synthesis catalysis

Used for catalytic conversion in fine chemicals and organic synthesis.

Corresponding products: organic synthesis catalysts, fine chemical catalytic materials, etc.

5. Rust-preventive pigments and building materials

Rust-preventive pigments

It can replace lead-containing anti-rust pigments for use in protective coatings on steel products.

Corresponding products: anti-rust primer, steel structure coating, container coating, etc.

Building material additives

Improve the performance of building materials such as cement.

Corresponding products: specialty cement, building material additives, etc.

Summary

Ferric phosphate (CAS 10045-86-0) is an iron salt composed of ferric ions and phosphate groups. The stable form of ferric iron ensures its iron content remains consistent over long periods with gentle release; its three-dimensional iron-phosphorus-oxygen framework provides thermal stability and minimal volume change during lithium insertion/extraction; and its nanostructure endows it with surface catalytic activity. These three characteristics make it versatile: it supplements iron in infants and grains, strengthens livestock in feed, serves as a new energy storage medium in batteries, and acts as a rust preventative coating for steel. From kitchens to farms, from electric vehicles to steel bridges, ferric phosphate is consistently characterized by its stability. Understanding its ferric iron form and polyanionic framework helps explain its widespread application across four major industries: food, feed, batteries, and industry.