U.S. patent application number 13/620422 was filed with the patent office on 2013-01-10 for process for the joint production of sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate.
This patent application is currently assigned to SOLVAY (SOCIETE ANONYME). Invention is credited to Kurt ALLEN, Francis M. COUSTRY, Perrine DAVOINE, Jean-Paul DETOURNAY.
Application Number | 20130011312 13/620422 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 40984967 |
Filed Date | 2013-01-10 |
United States Patent
Application |
20130011312 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
DAVOINE; Perrine ; et
al. |
January 10, 2013 |
Process for the joint production of sodium carbonate and sodium
bicarbonate
Abstract
Process for the joint production of sodium carbonate and sodium
bicarbonate crystals, according to which: a solid powder derived
from sodium sesquicarbonate, having a mean particle diameter
comprised between 0.1 and 10 mm is dissolved in water; the
resulting water solution is introduced into a crystallizer, wherein
a first water suspension comprising sodium carbonate crystals is
produced; the first water suspension is subjected to a separation,
in order to produce crystals comprising sodium carbonate on the one
hand, which are valorized, and a mother liquor on the other hand;
and a part of the mother liquor is taken out of the crystallizer
and put into contact in, a gas liquid contactor, with a gas
comprising carbon dioxide, in order to produce a second water
suspension comprising sodium bicarbonate crystals, which are
separated and valorized. A reagent powder comprising sodium
bicarbonate crystals made by such process.
Inventors: |
DAVOINE; Perrine; (Brussels,
BE) ; COUSTRY; Francis M.; (Alsemberg, BE) ;
DETOURNAY; Jean-Paul; (Brussels, BE) ; ALLEN;
Kurt; (Brussels, BE) |
Assignee: |
SOLVAY (SOCIETE ANONYME)
Brussels
BE
|
Family ID: |
40984967 |
Appl. No.: |
13/620422 |
Filed: |
September 14, 2012 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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12991350 |
Nov 5, 2010 |
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PCT/EP09/55722 |
May 12, 2009 |
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13620422 |
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12126651 |
May 23, 2008 |
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12991350 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
423/189 |
Current CPC
Class: |
Y02P 20/151 20151101;
C01D 7/126 20130101; B01D 2257/302 20130101; B01D 2251/304
20130101; B01D 2251/606 20130101; B01D 2257/2045 20130101; B01D
53/77 20130101; C01D 7/00 20130101; C01D 7/24 20130101; B01D 53/40
20130101; C01D 7/10 20130101; B01D 2257/504 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
423/189 |
International
Class: |
C22B 26/10 20060101
C22B026/10 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
May 13, 2008 |
EP |
08156095.5 |
Claims
1-20. (canceled)
21. A method for reducing the amount of alkali lost in evaporative
ponds which are fed with a purge liquor containing such alkali,
comprising: contacting said purge liquor with a gas comprising
carbon dioxide.
22. The method according to claim 21, wherein the purge liquor is a
part of a mother liquor comprising sodium carbonate taken out of a
sodium carbonate crystallizer.
23. The method according to claim 22, wherein the sodium carbonate
content in the mother liquor is at least 175 g/kg.
24. The method according to claim 22, wherein the sodium carbonate
content in the mother liquor is not more than 250 g/kg.
25. The method according to claim 22, wherein the mother liquor
does not contain more than 30 g/kg of sodium bicarbonate.
26. The method according to claim 21, which produces a water
suspension comprising sodium bicarbonate crystals.
27. The method according to claim 26, wherein sodium bicarbonate
crystals are separated from the water suspension to form a second
mother liquor.
28. The method according to claim 27, wherein the second mother
liquor is debicarbonated with vapor and then sent to a pond.
29. A method for treating a purge stream containing an inorganic
salt, comprising: treating said purge stream with gaseous carbon
dioxide.
30. The method of claim 29, wherein said purge stream comprises
sodium carbonate.
31. A method for extending the life of tailings ponds produced from
purge streams containing inorganic salts, which method comprises
treating such purge stream with gaseous carbon dioxide.
32. The method of claim 31, wherein the purge stream is treated
prior to it being deposited in the tailings pond.
33. The method of claim 31, wherein such purge stream is a soda ash
purge stream.
34. The method of claim 31, wherein such inorganic salt comprises
sodium carbonate.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present patent application is a continuation of U.S.
application Ser. No. 12/991,350 which is a U.S. national stage
application under 35 U.S.C. .sctn.371 of International Application
No. PCT/EP2009/055722 filed May 12, 2009, which is a continuation
of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/126,651, filed May 23, 2008
and which claims priority benefit to European Patent Application
No. 08156095.5 filed on May 13, 2008, the whole content of these
applications being incorporated herein by reference for all
purposes.
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] This invention relates to a method for the joint production
of sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate out of trona ore.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Trona ore is a mineral that contains about 90-95% sodium
sesquicarbonate (Na.sub.2CO.sub.3.NaHCO.sub.3.2H.sub.2O). A vast
deposit of mineral trona is found in southwestern Wyoming near
Green River. This deposit includes beds of trona and mixed trona
and halite (rock salt or NaCl) which covers approximately 2,600
km.sup.2. The major trona beds range in size from less than 428
km.sup.2 to at least 1,870 km.sup.2. By conservative estimates,
these major trona beds contain about 75 billion metric tons of ore.
The different beds overlap each other and are separated by layers
of shale. The quality of the trona varies depending on its
particular location in the stratum.
[0004] A typical analysis of the trona ore mined in Green River is
as follows:
TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Constituent Weight Percent Na.sub.2CO.sub.3
43.6 NaHCO.sub.3 34.5 H.sub.2O (crystalline and free moisture) 15.4
NaCl 0.01 Na.sub.2SO.sub.4 0.01 Fe.sub.2O.sub.3 0.14 Insolubles
6.3
[0005] The sodium sesquicarbonate found in trona ore is a complex
salt that is soluble in water and dissolves to yield approximately
5 parts by weight sodium carbonate (Na.sub.2CO.sub.3) and 4 parts
sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO.sub.3), as shown in the above analysis.
The trona ore is processed to remove the insoluble material, the
organic matter and other impurities to recover the valuable alkali
contained in the trona.
[0006] The most valuable alkali produced from trona is sodium
carbonate. Sodium carbonate is one of the largest volume alkali
commodities made in the United States. In 1992, trona-based sodium
carbonate from Wyoming comprised about 90% of the total U.S. soda
ash production. Sodium carbonate finds major use in the
glass-making industry and for the production of baking soda,
detergents and paper products.
[0007] A common method to produce sodium carbonate from trona ore
is known as the "monohydrate process". In that process, crushed
trona ore is calcined (i.e., heated) into crude sodium carbonate
which is then dissolved in water. The resulting water solution is
purified and fed to a crystallizer where pure sodium carbonate
monohydrate crystals are crystallized. The monohydrate crystals are
separated from the mother liquor and then dried into anhydrous
sodium carbonate. However, the soluble impurities contained in the
trona ore, tend to accumulate into the crystallizer. To avoid build
up of impurities, the mother liquor must be purged. The purge
liquor, which represents important quantities for industrial
monohydrate plants, is commonly sent to evaporative ponds. The
significant quantity of alkali which is contained in the purge
liquor is consequently lost. Moreover, the stocking of large
quantities of purge liquors in evaporative ponds raise
environmental problems, because of the scarce availability of new
areas for stocking.
[0008] On the other side, sodium bicarbonate is a product with a
wide range of interesting properties and a very wide range of
applications from high tech ingredients for the pharma industry to
the human food and animal feed, and to the use in flue gas
treatment. In flue gas treatment sodium bicarbonate is most likely
among the most efficient chemicals for the removal of a wide range
of pollutants (most notably the acidic one), and its use is limited
only by the competition of less efficient but much cheaper
chemicals such as lime or even limestone.
[0009] The production of sodium bicarbonate is currently almost
entirely made by the carbonation of sodium carbonate. In Europe,
the carbonation is usually performed in situ in the soda ash plants
from CO.sub.2 coproduced during the production of soda ash (mainly
the CO.sub.2 generation in the lime kilns). In USA, the carbonation
is usually made in separate plants which purchase independently the
soda ash and the CO.sub.2 and combine them.
[0010] Because of the nature of this most important process for the
bicarbonate production, the price for bicarbonate is above the
price of the soda ash. With such economics the uses of bicarbonate
will always be limited by the competition of cheaper substitutes,
most notably in the flue gas treatment.
[0011] US2003/0017099 discloses a process for the joint production
of sodium carbonate and bicarbonate, according to which solid trona
is dissolved in water and the resulting water solution is fed into
a monohydrate crystallizer in order to produce sodium carbonate.
The purge liquor is introduced into a decahydrate crystallizer and
the decahydrate crystals converted into sodium bicarbonate. It has
been observed that this process is not efficient when the purge
liquor, depending on the trona source, contains high levels of
impurities. In particular, the sodium chloride content of the trona
ore can vary depending on the precise trona vein which is
exploited. High levels of sodium chloride in the purge liquor
prevent smooth crystallization of decahydrate.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0012] The invention aims on one side at reducing the amount of
alkali lost in the evaporative ponds and on the other side at
producing bicarbonate from trona in a smooth and inexpensive way,
thereby opening new applications for the sodium bicarbonate.
[0013] Accordingly, the invention concerns a process for the joint
production of sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate, wherein:
[0014] a solid powder derived from sodium sesquicarbonate, having a
mean particle diameter comprised between 0.1 and 10 mm is dissolved
in water; [0015] the resulting water solution is introduced into a
crystallizer, wherein a first water suspension comprising sodium
carbonate crystals is produced; [0016] the first water suspension
is subjected to a separation, in order to obtain crystals
comprising sodium carbonate on the one hand, which are valorized,
and a mother liquor on the other hand; and [0017] a part of the
mother liquor is taken out of the crystallizer and put into contact
with a gas comprising carbon dioxide, in order to produce a second
water suspension comprising sodium bicarbonate crystals, which are
separated and valorized.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0018] For a detailed description of the preferred embodiments of
the invention, reference will now be made to the accompanying
drawing in which:
[0019] FIG. 1 illustrates a process flow diagram of a process
according to an embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0020] The process according to the invention allows the joint
production of sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate, out of
sodium sesquicarbonate. Sodium sesquicarbonate containing
intrinsically both sodium carbonate and bicarbonate, this process
valorizes in an optimum way the raw materials which are
consumed.
[0021] In the process according to the invention, solid powder
derived from sodium sesquicarbonate is dissolved in water. The
expression "derived from sesquicarbonate" means that the powder can
consist essentially of sesquicarbonate, but can also consist of a
product which results from a direct transformation of
sesquicarbonate. For example, the transformation can be a
calcination which transforms the sesquicarbonate essentially in
sodium carbonate. The sesquicarbonate can have different origins.
It can be produced artificially out of different sodium sources.
However, it is recommended that sesquicarbonate comes from a
natural trona ore. In this recommended embodiment purification of
the water solution obtained after the dissolution of the solid
powder in water will in general be necessary, in order to purify it
from the main impurities contained in the ore. The purification
generally involves settling and filtration steps, to allow
insolubles to separate from the water solution. It also involves
generally the use of reagents in order to remove organic matters
still contained in the purified water solution. Active carbon is an
example of such reagent.
[0022] The water in which the solid powder derived from
sesquicarbonate is dissolved can be fresh water. However water has
to be understood in a wide sense. The water can contain recycled
water solutions already containing alkalis, coming from the process
according to the invention or from other processes. The water can
also comprise mother liquors (crystallization waters) produced
downstream of the process according to the invention, when sodium
carbonate and bicarbonate are crystallized, for instance. The
process is also suited when the water is a mine water. By mine
water is understood the water solution which is formed when water
is directly injected into the trona ore deposits, whereby, on
contact with the water, some ore dissolves in it.
[0023] The mean particle diameter of the powder which is dissolved
in the water is comprised between 0.1 and 10 mm. Powders having a
mean diameter below 0.1 mm frequently contain too much impurities,
for instance when the sesquicarbonate is a trona ore, whereas
powders having a mean diameter above 10 mm tend to be difficult to
handle and dissolve in water. The mean diameter is the D.sub.50
which is the diameter such that half of the particles, in weight,
have a diameter lower than the specified value. For non spherical
particles, the diameter is the equivalent one, that is six times
the value of the volume of the particles divided by its external
area.
[0024] The powder which derives from sesquicarbonate can consist
essentially of sesquicarbonate and the impurities accompanying it,
as in the embodiment wherein the source of sesquicarbonate is
natural trona ore.
[0025] In a recommended embodiment of the invention, the powder
derived from sesquicarbonate is calcined sesquicarbonate. In this
embodiment, the sesquicarbonate is first calcined, preferably at a
temperature comprised between 100 and 400.degree. C., before its
dissolution in water. During calcination, the sodium
sesquicarbonate in the trona ore breaks down into sodium carbonate,
carbon dioxide and water. Also, calcination releases some of the
organics associated with trona or trona shale.
[0026] The quantity of powder derived from sesquicarbonate which is
dissolved into water is regulated in order to obtain a resulting
water solution containing enough sodium carbonate and bicarbonate
to allow smooth crystallization of both chemicals in the later
stages of the process. It is recommended that the resulting water
solution contains at least 15%, preferably 20%, most preferably 25%
in weight of sodium carbonate.
[0027] The crystallizer into which the resulting water solution is
introduced must be able to crystallize sodium carbonate. The
crystallized sodium carbonate can be in different hydration forms:
monohydrate, decahydrate, . . . or can be anhydrous.
[0028] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the sodium
carbonate crystals produced in the crystallizer are in the
monohydrate form. The crystallizer is then part of what is commonly
referred to as the "monohydrate process". In the monohydrate
process, crushed trona ore is calcined at a temperature between
125.degree. C. and 250.degree. C. to convert sodium bicarbonate
into sodium carbonate and form crude soda ash. The resulting crude
sodium carbonate and the remaining organics are then dissolved in
water. After dissolving the calcined trona, any undissolved solids
are removed and the solution is treated with activated carbon to
remove some of the organics present in the solution. The solution
is then filtered. One of the advantages of the monohydrate process
is that calcined trona dissolves faster than raw trona. Another
advantage is that calcined trona can produce more concentrated
sodium carbonate solutions, whose concentrations can reach about
30%, while dissolved raw trona results into solutions having only
about 16% sodium carbonate plus 10% sodium bicarbonate. The
filtered solution of sodium carbonate is fed to an evaporative
crystallizer where some of the water is evaporated and some of the
sodium carbonate forms into sodium carbonate monohydrate crystals
(Na.sub.2CO.sub.3.H.sub.2O). A slurry containing these monohydrate
crystals and a mother liquor is removed from the evaporators, and
the crystals are separated from the mother liquor. The crystals are
then calcined, or dried, to convert it to dense soda ash. The
mother liquor is recycled back to the evaporator circuit for
further processing into sodium carbonate monohydrate crystals.
[0029] In the process according to the invention, the composition
of the mother liquor which is put into contact with carbon dioxide
can vary according to the crystallization conditions. In general,
it is recommended that the mother liquor contains a sufficient
quantity of sodium carbonate.
[0030] In a recommended embodiment of the process according to the
invention, the mother liquor contains at least 175 g/kg, preferably
190 g/kg, more preferably 205 g/kg, most preferably 220 g/kg of
sodium carbonate. It is however recommended that the mother liquor
does not contain more than 250 g/kg, preferably not more than 240
g/kg of sodium carbonate. It is also recommended that the mother
liquor does not contain more than 30 g/kg, preferably 20 g/kg, more
preferably 15 g/kg, most preferably 10 g/kg of sodium bicarbonate.
It is additionally recommended that the mother liquor contains from
3 to 6, preferably from 4 to 5 equivalent/kg total alkali content.
This means that one kg of mother solution contains advantageously
from 3 to 6, preferably from 4 to 5 moles on ion Na.sup.+, whether
coming from sodium carbonate or sodium bicarbonate.
[0031] The process according to the invention allows to directly
produce fairly pure sodium bicarbonate crystals out of quite impure
mother liquors. The mother liquor is even advantageously a purge
stream from the crystallizer, used to maintain the concentration of
impurities in the crystallizer below a threshold value.
[0032] In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the mother
liquor contains at least 10 g/kg, preferably 20 g/kg, most
preferably 30 g/kg of NaCl.
[0033] In another advantageous embodiment of the invention, the
mother liquor contains at least 1 g/kg, preferably 4 g/kg, most
preferably 8 g/kg of Na.sub.2SO.sub.4.
[0034] In still another advantageous embodiment of the invention,
the mother liquor contains at least 0.5 g/kg, preferably 0.6 g/kg
of Si (counted as silica).
[0035] It is however recommended in those advantageous embodiments
that the mother liquor does not contain more than 60 g/kg,
preferably not more than 50 g/kg of sodium chloride. It is also
recommended that the mother liquor does not contain more than 20
g/kg, more preferably 15 g/kg of sodium sulfate and not more than
1.5, preferably 1 g/kg of silica.
[0036] In those advantageous embodiments, it has been observed that
the produced sodium bicarbonate crystals contain much less
impurities than the mother liquor. It is advantageous that the
crystals contain less than 0.1 g/kg Na.sub.2SO.sub.4, less than 1
g/kg NaCl and less than 5 g/kg silica.
[0037] In the process according to the invention, the gas
comprising carbon dioxide must react efficiently with the mother
liquor in the gas liquid reactor. To that end, it is recommended
that the gas comprises at least 20% in weight, advantageously 40%,
preferably 60%, more preferably 80% CO.sub.2. It is particularly
efficient to use pure (100%) CO.sub.2. It is also recommended to
use a well stirred gas liquid reactor, comprising a gas injector
able to distribute the gas homogeneously into the reactor. The
liquid constitutes advantageously the continuous phase inside the
reactor, the gas being injected at the bottom and moving upwards.
The reactor comprises preferably cooling means, to counteract the
exothermicity of the reaction. The CO.sub.2 can have different
origins. In one recommended embodiment, the CO.sub.2 comes from a
natural gas plant, after having been concentrated for example
through an amine process. Preferably, the CO.sub.2 comes from the
monohydrate soda ash plant, for instance from the calciners used to
calcine the trona.
[0038] The temperature inside the gas liquid reactor is preferably
between 60 and 80.degree. C., more preferably between 65 and
75.degree. C. The temperature of the mother liquor when it is
introduced into the reactor is advantageously a little higher,
preferably between 80 and 95.degree. C.
[0039] In order to obtain a water suspension comprising enough
sodium bicarbonate crystals, it is preferable to maintain a
residence time in the gas liquid reactor greater than 10 minutes,
more preferably greater than 20 minutes.
[0040] The (second) water suspension produced into the gas liquid
reactor is subjected to a separation. The separation of the
crystals from the suspension can be carried out by any appropriate
mechanical separating means, for example by settling, by
centrifugation, by filtration or by a combination of these three
separating means. The sodium bicarbonate crystals are finally dried
and packed.
[0041] The process according to the invention is particularly
effective to produce crystals with a median diameter (D.sub.50)
between 75 and 250 .mu.m, preferably between 80 and 150 .mu.m.
D.sub.10 diameters are preferably between 40 and 100 .mu.m, whereas
D.sub.90 diameters are preferably between 175 and 500 .mu.m.
D.sub.x is the diameter value such that.times.percent of the
particles have a diameter lower than the value. When the particles
have an approximately spherical shape, the diameter is the diameter
of the particle. For irregular shapes, the diameter is six times
the volume of the particle divided by its outer surface.
[0042] The sodium bicarbonate crystals produced by the process
according to the invention have a very special structure: they
contain impurities at a particular, however low, level. This level
is higher than that of conventional sodium bicarbonate crystals for
instance produced out of commercial sodium carbonate. Those
impurities are a kind of memory in the bicarbonate crystals of the
composition of the mother liquor. The usefulness of those
impurities is not yet fully experienced, but their concentration
corresponds to the level of many additives. Positive impact on
storage and flowability of powders of such crystals can be
expected. The crystals have also a unique granulometry. Moreover,
they are extremely advantageous for many applications, in which
cost is a major aspect.
[0043] The invention concerns also a reagent powder comprising
sodium bicarbonate crystals obtainable by the process according to
the invention. The crystals of such reagent powder comprise
preferably from 0.1 to 1 g/kg NaCl, and/or from 0.01 to 0.1 g/kg
Na.sub.2SO.sub.4 and/or from 0.5 to 5 g/kg silica.
[0044] Such reagent powders are particularly suited for the removal
of pollutants from gases.
[0045] Consequently, the invention concerns also a process for
treating a gas containing noxious pollutants, preferably HCl and/or
SO.sub.2 according to which a reagent powder according to the
invention is injected in the gas, the pollutants react with the
reagent and the product of the reaction is separated from the gas.
The separation of the products of the reaction can most simply be
performed by filtration, using bag filters or electrostatic
filters. In this process, it is recommended that the temperature of
the gas is above 100.degree. C., preferably 110.degree. C., more
preferably 120.degree. C., most preferably 130.degree. C. At those
temperatures, the sodium bicarbonate quickly decomposes into sodium
carbonate having a high specific surface and thus high reactivity.
The decomposition occurs within seconds, in the gas treatment duct.
The reagent is injected in the dry or semidry state. By semidry
state injection is understood injection of fine droplets of a water
solution or preferably suspension of the reagent into a hot gas,
having a temperature above 100.degree. C. The solution or
suspension evaporates immediately after its contact with the hot
gas.
[0046] In the process for the joint production of sodium carbonate
and sodium bicarbonate crystals according to the invention, the gas
comprising CO.sub.2 is preferably produced by indirect calcination
of a composition releasing CO.sub.2 upon calcination, preferably a
composition comprising an alkali bicarbonate, more preferably
sesquicarbonate or trona. Calcination of trona is advantageously
operated between 140 and 180.degree. C. By indirect calcination is
meant calcination wherein the composition to be calcined is not in
direct contact with the heat source utilized to warm the calciner.
This is indeed the situation in conventional calciners, wherein the
composition is in direct contact with the combustion gases produced
by the burning fuel. In this embodiment, it is recommended to use
steam heated calciners, wherein the steam is circulated into pipes,
and the composition, preferably trona, is heated by contact with
the exterior surface of the pipes. The steam is advantageously
produced by electricity and steam cogeneration. It has been
observed that the gas comprising CO.sub.2 which is produced that
way, after suitable drying for instance by a condensing step, has
an elevated concentration in CO.sub.2, typically more than 80% in
volume, preferably more than 90%, most preferably more than 95%.
The CO.sub.2 has also a great purity. Thanks to those properties, a
gas comprising CO.sub.2 produced that way is especially suitable
for the production of sodium bicarbonate out of a water solution
comprising sodium carbonate.
[0047] Consequently, the invention concerns finally also a process
for the production of sodium bicarbonate crystals, according to
which: [0048] a composition releasing CO.sub.2 upon calcination is
indirectly calcined in order to produce a gas comprising CO.sub.2;
[0049] a water solution comprising sodium carbonate is put into
contact, in a gas liquid contactor, with the gas comprising
CO.sub.2, in order to produce a water suspension comprising sodium
bicarbonate crystals, which are separated.
[0050] In this process, the solution comprising sodium carbonate
comprises preferably at least 175 g/kg of sodium carbonate, and the
gas comprising CO.sub.2 comprises at least 90% CO.sub.2. The sodium
carbonate is preferably produced by the monohydrate process
described in this specification. Other preferred embodiments of the
process for the joint production of sodium carbonate and sodium
bicarbonate crystals described above are also advantageously
adapted to this process for the production of sodium
bicarbonate.
[0051] The annexed figure (FIG. 1) illustrates a particular
embodiment of the invention. Crushed sodium carbonate crystals 1,
originating from calcined trona ore, and water 2 are introduced in
a leaching tank 3. The resulting water solution, containing
insolubles in suspension, is filtered and purified in a
purification unit 5. The purified water solution 6 is introduced
into a monohydrate crystallizer 7, wherein a suspension 8
containing sodium carbonate monohydrate crystals is produced. Those
crystals 10 are separated from the suspension in a separator 9. The
resulting mother liquor 11 is sent back to the crystallizer 7. A
purge stream 12 from the crystallizer 7 is carbonated in a reactor
13, fed by carbon dioxide 14. A water suspension 15 comprising
sodium bicarbonate crystals is extracted from the reactor 13. The
crystals 22 are finally separated in a filter 16. The second mother
liquor 17 is debicarbonated with vapor 20 and then sent to a
storage pond. Carbon dioxide 19 is advantageously recycled.
EXAMPLES
[0052] Details and particularities of the invention will appear
from the description of the following examples.
Example 1
[0053] Crushed trona ore originating from Wyoming was used as feed
material in a monohydrate process for the production of sodium
carbonate. Accordingly, the crushed trona ore was calcined at a
temperature of 170.degree. C. The resulting sodium carbonate was
leached in a quantity regulated in order to get a water solution
containing 30% (weight) of sodium carbonate. The resulting water
solution was then filtered, purified and introduced into a
crystallizer, according to the monohydrate process. A first water
suspension comprising sodium carbonate monohydrate crystals was
produced in the crystallizer. The suspension was submitted to a
separation, resulting in sodium carbonate monohydrate crystals
(which are further processed into dense anhydrous sodium carbonate
crystals) on one side and a (first) mother liquor on the other
side. Part of the mother liquor was then taken out of the
crystallizer, as part of a purge stream. The composition of the
mother liquor is given in TABLE 2. The mother liquor was stored in
a tank and heated at 87.degree. C. This mother liquor was
introduced from the tank into a lab-scale, atmospheric pressure
gas-liquid reactor, at a flow rate of 1.6 kg/h. The reactor was
agitated and maintained at 70.degree. C. A carbon dioxide gas
stream (100% CO.sub.2), saturated at about 40.degree. C. was
introduced into the reactor at a flow rate of 0.8 m.sup.3/h and
approximately atmospheric pressure. Residence time into the reactor
was calculated as approximately 1_hour. A second water suspension
comprising sodium bicarbonate crystals was produced and extracted
from the bottom of the reactor. The crystals were separated from
the suspension. The resulting second mother liquor had the
composition given in TABLE 3. Size and composition of those
crystals are given in TABLE 4.
Example 2
[0054] In Example 2, it was processed as in Example 1, except that
another specimen of mother liquor was submitted to carbonation,
with slightly higher alkali content. The residence time was also
increased to 2 hours. The results are given in TABLES 2 to 4. The
residual sodium carbonate content of the second mother liquor was
much higher than in Example 1. The sodium bicarbonate crystals
comprised also more fine particles (greater span).
Example 3
[0055] In example 3, it was operated as in Example 2 (2-hour
residence time) and the same specimen of mother liquor was used
than in Example 2, but was further slightly diluted with water, in
order to bring its alkali content back to the value of Example 1.
The results are given in TABLES 2 to 4. The residual sodium
carbonate content of the second mother liquor was back to the value
of Example 1.
Example 4
[0056] In Example 4, it is operated as in Example 1, except that
the purge stream from the crystallizer is sent into a pilot scale
reactor, at a flow rate of 320 kg/h. Carbon dioxide having a
concentration of 75% is introduced into the reactor at a flow rate
of 18.5 Nm.sup.3/h, and at a pressure of 2.5 absolute bars. The
crystals separated from the extracted suspension have approximately
the same composition as those of Example 1. Their diameters have a
D.sub.10 of 60 .mu.m, a D.sub.50 of 120 .mu.m and a D.sub.90 of 200
.mu.m.
TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Example 1 Example 2 Example 3 NaHCO.sub.3 9
g/kg 14 g/kg 9 g/kg Na.sub.2CO.sub.3 229 g/kg 239 g/kg 229 g/kg
NaCl 35 g/kg 39 g/kg 36 g/kg Na.sub.2SO.sub.4 9 g/kg 10 g/kg 9 g/kg
Ca 8 mg/kg Mg 0.7 mg/kg Fe 0.1 mg/kg Al 0.3 mg/kg Si 800 mg/kg
Total Organic Carbon 613 mg/kg H.sub.20 718 g/kg 698 g/kg 717
g/kg
TABLE-US-00003 TABLE 3 Example 1 Example 2 Example 3 NaHCO.sub.3 93
g/kg 63 g/kg 96 g/kg Na.sub.2CO.sub.3 46 g/kg 115 g/kg 44 g/kg NaCl
39 g/kg 45 g/kg 32 g/kg Na.sub.2SO.sub.4 10 g/kg 12 g/kg 7 g/kg Ca
0.5 mg/kg Mg 0.2 mg/kg Fe <0.04 mg/kg Al <0.04 mg/kg Si 400
mg/kg Total Organic Carbon 602 mg/kg H2O 812 g/kg 765 g/kg 821
g/kg
TABLE-US-00004 TABLE 4 Example 1 Example 2 Example 3 NaHCO.sub.3
977 g/kg 989 g/kg 985 g/kg Na.sub.2CO.sub.3 18 g/kg 9 g/kg 10 g/kg
NaCl 0.3 g/kg Na.sub.2SO.sub.4 80 mg/kg Ca 23 mg/kg 43 mg/kg 37
mg/kg Mg 2.5 mg/kg Fe 0.4 mg/kg Al 1.0 mg/kg Si 2.6 g/kg D.sub.10
22 .mu.m 21 .mu.m 40 .mu.m D.sub.50 89 .mu.m 80 .mu.m 110 .mu.m
D.sub.90 222 .mu.m 294 .mu.m 220 .mu.m Span 2.2 3.4 1.6
* * * * *