Conversion of alkali metal sulfate to the carbonate

Patent · Mon Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 1979

OSTI ID:5043575

Sheth, A C

A process is described for converting potassium sulfate to potassium carbonate in which a mixture of potassium sulfate and calcium oxide are reacted at a temperature in the range of between about 700/sup 0/C and about 800/sup 0/C with a gaseous mixture having a minor amount of hydrogen and/or carbon monoxide in a diluent with the calcium oxide being present in an amount not greater than about 20 percent by weight of the potassium sulfate to produce an aqueous mixture of potassium sulfide, potassium bisulfide, potassium hydroxide and calcium sulfide and a gaseous mixture of steam and hydrogen sulfide. The potassium and calcium salts are quenched to produce an aqueous slurry of soluble potassium salts and insoluble calcium salts and a gaseous mixture of steam and hydrogen sulfide. The insoluble calcium salts are then separated from the aqueous solution of soluble potassium salts. The calcium salts are dried to produce calcium sulfide, calcium bisulfide and steam, and then, the calcium sulfide and calcium bisulfide are converted to the oxide and recycled. The soluble potassium salts are carbonated to produce potassium carbonate which is concentrated and the precipitated crystals separated. the sulfur-containing compounds are further treated. This process was developed for desulfurization and reprocessing of spent seed from open-cycle coal-fired MHD generators for reuse.

• DOE Contract Number: W-31-109-ENG-38
• Assignee: TIC; ERA-06-000907; EDB-80-123249
• OSTI ID: 5043575
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION
COAL-FIRED MHD GENERATORS
SEED RECOVERY
POTASSIUM SULFATES
DESULFURIZATION
SPENT SEED
REPROCESSING
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
OPEN-CYCLE MHD GENERATORS
POTASSIUM CARBONATES
ALKALI METAL COMPOUNDS
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBONATES
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
MHD GENERATORS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POTASSIUM COMPOUNDS
RECOVERY
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SULFATES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
300103* - MHD Generators- Materials
Components
& Auxiliaries