Product development of FGD recovered magnesium hydroxide
The ThioClear FGD processes developed by the Dravo Lime Company (DLC) produce a high brightness gypsum and magnesium hydroxide (Mg(OH){sub 2}) by-product. Both originate as white precipitates from a solution of magnesium sulfate. The use of magnesium-enhanced lime avoids the mineral impurities from direct neutralization when using pulverized limestone rock. White, pure FGD synthetic gypsum can be used to produce higher value products such as mineral fillers and industrial plasters. This paper focuses on the product development of the Mg(OH){sub 2} by-product. Commercial Mg(OH){sub 2} sells at over $200/Ton for a variety of uses, most of which is wastewater treatment and a feedstock to make magnesium chemicals and refractories. Beneficial uses in the power plant are pH control of acidic coal pile stormwater runoff and bottom ash quench water. A future use being explored is injection into coal fired boilers to neutralize sulfur trioxide (SO{sub 3}) to prevent stack gas opacity related emission problems and minimize air preheater corrosion and fouling. The objective of this project is to improve the purity and solids content of the by-product after it is separated from the gypsum. Several options were investigated to convert it into a more marketable or usable form. Test results and economic evaluations are reported during the different process steps needed to improve the product quality: (1) dissolving or washing out the gypsum impurity; (2) thickening the washed solids and using the overflow for makeup water within the FGD water balance; (3) finding the best means to dewater the washed, thickened slurry; and (4) repulp the dewatered cake into a stabilized slurry or dry it to powder. Flash drying the dewatered cake is compared to spray drying the thickened slurry. FGD Mg(OH){sub 2} is shown to have equal reactivity as an acid neutralization reagent on a Mg(OH){sub 2} molar basis to commercial Mg(OH){sub 2} products and other alkaline reagents. Its use for pH control in wastewater treatment is shown to produce a much smaller sludge volume than lime or sodium hydroxide.
- Research Organization:
- Dravo Lime Co., Pittsburgh, PA (US)
- OSTI ID:
- 20082292
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Sixteenth Annual International Pittsburgh Coal Conference, Pittsburgh, PA (US), 10/11/1999--10/15/1999; Other Information: 1 CD-ROM. Operating systems required: Windows 95/98; Windows 3.X, Macintosh; PBD: 1999; Related Information: In: Sixteenth annual international Pittsburgh Coal Conference: Proceedings, [2000] pages.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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