Industrial production of sodium sulfate using solar ponds
- Universidad Nacional de Salta, Buenos Aires (Argentina)
- Universidad Nacional de Jujuy, San Salvador de Jujuy (Argentina)
An example of the use of a solar pond in the mining industry, the production of industrial grade sodium sulfate from a mineral consisting in a mixture of sulfate decahydrate, sodium chloride and clays, is described. The industrial solar process uses the solar pond as a basin where the mineral is dissolved at temperatures around 40{degree}C. The sodium sulfate is separated from the concentrated hot solution by fractional crystallization during the night, at low temperature. This design was tested successfully in a prototype with a 400 m{sup 2} pond. An industrial plant using this process has been working in a batch mode for several years. The plant is described and its operation and costs are analyzed. They compare favorably with the results obtained with a conventional plant because of lower initial investments and operational costs.
- OSTI ID:
- 6300566
- Journal Information:
- Solar Energy (Journal of Solar Energy Science and Engineering); (USA), Journal Name: Solar Energy (Journal of Solar Energy Science and Engineering); (USA) Vol. 45:4; ISSN SRENA; ISSN 0038-092X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
140905*
ALKALI METAL COMPOUNDS
CHEMICAL PLANTS
CHLORIDES
CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
CLAYS
COMMERCIALIZATION
CONSTRUCTION
COST
CRYSTALLIZATION
DIAGRAMS
DISSOLUTION
ECONOMICS
ENERGY
EQUIPMENT
FLOWSHEETS
FUNCTIONAL MODELS
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
HEAT
HYDRATES
INDUSTRIAL PLANTS
MEDIUM TEMPERATURE
MINERALS
OPERATION
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PERFORMANCE
PERFORMANCE TESTING
PHASE DIAGRAMS
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
PILOT PLANTS
PONDS
PROCESS HEAT
PRODUCTION
SALINITY GRADIENTS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SODIUM CHLORIDES
SODIUM COMPOUNDS
SODIUM SULFATES
SOLAR COLLECTORS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
SOLAR PONDS
SOLAR PROCESS HEAT
SOLUBILITY
SULFATES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SURFACE WATERS
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE
TEMPERATURE GRADIENTS
TESTING