Egg consumption is very high throughout the world and with it comes enormous amount of waste eggshells. To reduce and utilize these wastes, eggshell wastes were simply transformed to low- or high-purity calcium carbonate grades by washing, crushing, and drying to use as raw materials for producing highly valuable calcium phosphate products. Low-purity calcium carbonate grade was used to prepare triple superphosphate for using in fertilizer industry, whereas high-purity calcium carbonate grade was used to produce dicalcium phosphate dihydrate, monocalcium phosphate monohydrate, and tricalcium phosphate for using in mineral feed and food additive industries. All calcium phosphate samples obtained by simple, rapid, cheap, and environmentally safe method using eggshells and phosphoric acid were identified and their structural phases and impurities were determined by XRF, XRD and FTIR techniques. Thermal behaviors of raw materials and the prepared calcium phosphates excepted tricalcium phosphate were investigated by TG/DTG techniques. The methodologies described here will be useful to manage eggshells by converting them to highly valuable products, which can solve eggshell wastes problem from industries and communities. This finding supports the viewpoint of zero waste operation to produce value-added products for obtaining sustainable development, which may be selected as an alternative way for material recycling and waste management in the future.

This study was designed to manage golden apple snail shells, the wastes created in large amount daily from the consumption of the meat of golden apple snail (Pomacea canaliculata) shells by transforming them to advanced compounds; calcium carbonate (CaCO3), monocalcium phosphate monohydrate [Ca(H2PO4)2·H2O], and tricalcium phosphate [Ca3(PO4)2]. They were successfully prepared by a rapid, simple, environmentally benign method using easily available and low-cost instrument. All synthesized samples were characterized by X-ray fluorescence, X-ray powder diffraction, FTIR spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy to confirm the identities with the standard materials. The reproducibility and low-cost method suggest that it could be used in industry for a large-scale production of calcium carbonate, monocalcium phosphate monohydrate and tricalcium phosphate from golden apple snail shells as a replacement of natural mineral resources and be a good way to manage these shell wastes.

The scallop shell waste ( Pectinidae , one of saltwater clams) was used as a raw material (precursor) to prepare calcium lactate (Ca(C 2 H 4 OHCOO) 2 ), and the physicochemical properties of scallop-derived calcium lactate were then investigated. The scallop waste was first ground to obtain calcium carbonate (CaCO 3 ) powder, and the calcium lactate compounds were successfully synthesized by the reactions between shell-derived CaCO 3 and lactic acid (C 2 H 4 OHCOOH). The short preparation time, high percentage yield, and low-cost production are the preferred manners, and, in this research, it was the reaction of 70 wt % lactic acid and scallop-derived CaCO 3 . The thermal decompositions of both CaCO 3 precursor and all prepared calcium lactates resulted in the formation of calcium oxide (CaO), which is widely used as a catalyst for biodiesel production. By comparing with the literature, the results obtained from the characterization instruments (infrared spectrophotometer, X-ray diffractometer, thermogravimetric analyzer, and scanning electron microscope) confirmed the formation and crystal structure of both CaCO 3 and its calcium lactate product. The morphologies of calcium lactate show different sizes depending on the acid concentration used in the reaction process. Consequently, this work reports an easy, uncomplicated, low-cost technique to change the cheap calcium compound product (scallop CaCO 3 ) derived from shellfish waste to the valuable compound (calcium lactate), which can be used in many industries.

The search for sustainable resources remains a subject of global interest. Calcium acetate used in many fields was prepared using waste scallop shell as a raw material, and its physicochemical properties were investigated. The waste scallop shells were transformed to calcium acetate compounds by reactions with four acetic acid concentrations at ambient temperature until the completely dried powder is obtained. The maximum yield of 87% with short reaction time at a low temperature was observed in the reaction of 60%w/w acetic acid with scallop shells. Thermal transformation reactions of all prepared calcium acetate samples revealed temperature conditions for heating to produce other advanced materials. FTIR and XRD results confirmed the purity and solid phase of all prepared calcium acetate samples, and they were compared with those of literatures and found to be well consistent. The obtained timber-like particles have different sizes depending on the acetic acid concentration. This work reports an easy and low-cost method with no environmental effect to produce cheap calcium products to be used in the industry.

Calcium dihydrogen phosphate monohydrate (Ca(H2PO4)2·H2O) (a fertilizer) was successfully synthesized through a recrystallization process using prepared triple superphosphate (TSP) derived from oyster shell waste as the starting material. This bio-green, eco-friendly process to produce an important fertilizer can promote a sustainable society. The shell-waste-derived TSP was dissolved in distilled water and kept at 30, 50, and 80 °C. Non-soluble powder and TSP solution were obtained. The TSP solution fractions were then dried, and the recrystallized products (RCP30, RCP50, and RCP80) were obtained and confirmed as Ca(H2PO4)2·H2O. Conversely, the non-soluble products (NSP30, NSP50, and NSP80) were observed as calcium hydrogen phosphate dihydrate (CaHPO4·2H2O). The recrystallized yields of RCP30, RCP50, and RCP80 were found to be 51.0%, 49.6%, and 46.3%, whereas the soluble percentages were 98.72%, 99.16%, and 96.63%, respectively. RCP30 shows different morphological plate sizes, while RCP50 and RCP80 present the coagulate crystal plates. X-ray diffractograms confirmed the formation of both the NSP and RCP. The infrared adsorption spectra confirmed the vibrational characteristics of HPO42−, H2PO4−, and H2O existed in CaHPO4·2H2O and Ca(H2PO4)2·H2O. Three thermal dehydration steps of Ca(H2PO4)2·H2O (physisorbed water, polycondensation, and re-polycondensation) were observed. Ca(H2PO4)2 and CaH2P2O7 are the thermodecomposed products from the first and second steps, whereas the final product is CaP2O6.