Potash recovery from process and waste brines by solar evaporation and flotation
The Bureau of Mines investigated energy-efficient methods for recovering potash values from process and waste brines. Laboratory pan evaporation of four chloride brines produced crude salts containing predominantly sylvite, halite, and carnallite. Six sulfate-chloride brines produced crude salts containing primarily schoenite, kainite, leonite, sylvite, carnallite, and halite. Potash grades ranged from 7.2 to 22.2% K/sub 2/O, and recoveries from 84 to 99%. Sylvite flotation from chloride evaporites, with amine collector, recovered 90 to 97% of the potash in a concentrate containing 54.3 to 60.3% K/sub 2/O. Fatty acid flotation of the high-sulfate evaporite recovered 78% of the sulfate minerals in a 27.8%-K/sub 2/O concentrate. Flotation of the chloride minerals with amine collector recovered 80% of the potash in a 59.7%-K/sub 2/O concentrate. Solar evaporation of 10,000 gal of brine recovered 99% of the potash in a crude evaporite containing 24.5% schoenite and 20 pct sylvite. Continuous flotation in a 100-lb/h process research unit recovered over 95% of the potash in schoenite and sylvite concentrates containing 28.0 and 62.3% K/sub 2/O, respectively. An economic evaluation suggested a rate of return of 3% for a new facility and 9% if the process is adapted to fit an existing plant.
- Research Organization:
- Bureau of Mines, Salt Lake City, UT (USA). Salt Lake City Research Center
- OSTI ID:
- 5897979
- Report Number(s):
- BM-RI-8911; ON: TI85901182
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
14 SOLAR ENERGY
BRINES
EVAPORATION
MATERIALS RECOVERY
SOLAR DRYING
POTASSIUM HYDROXIDES
PRODUCTION
CRYSTALLIZATION
FLOTATION
LIQUID WASTES
SOLAR HEATING
WASTE PROCESSING
ALKALI METAL COMPOUNDS
DRYING
HEATING
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROXIDES
MANAGEMENT
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
POTASSIUM COMPOUNDS
PROCESSING
RECOVERY
SEPARATION PROCESSES
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTES
320305* - Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization- Industrial & Agricultural Processes- Industrial Waste Management
140905