**Abstract**

Phosphate rock is an important mineral commodity used in the chemical industry and production of food. The first section of ninth chapter of this book introduces utiliza‐ tion of apatite ores for manufacturing of phosphorus. The second part deals with production of phosphoric acid via wet and thermal process and utilization of byprod‐ ucts such as phosphogypsum, phosphorous slag and ferrophosphorus. The last section of this chapter describes the methods for production of fertilizers, such as supephos‐ phates, Thomas slag, ammonium phosphates, thermophosphates, etc., and the chapter ends with environmental demand of phosphate fertilizers.

**Keywords:** Apatite, Apatite Ore, Phosphorus, Phosphoric Acid, Fertilizers, Super‐ phosphate, Thomas Slag

The group of apatite minerals was studied by the physiologists, biochemists or soil scientists as well as the geologists or mineralogists. Each group of scientists concerned with the apatite minerals see their own problems and make attempts to solve them in their own way. The soil scientists are mainly interested in the availability of P2O5 to plants. The physiologists focus on the prevention of dental caries or on the mechanism of various types of metal poisoning. The geologists study the mode of formation of phosphorite deposits, the chemists carry out the equilibrium studies and analytical methods and the mineralogists investigate the crystal chemistry of entire group [1].
