Technology for the production of potassium sulphate from mirabilite and potassium chloride of the Tyubegatan deposit

Abstract

The results of studying the composition and rheological properties of solutions after separation of glaserite, as well as the influence of technological parameters on the process of evaporation of mother liquors in the production of potassium sulfate by conversion of flotation potassium chloride with mirabilite of the Tumryuk deposit, are presented. The evaporation process proceeds most intensively at 120 °C. In this case, after 60 minutes, the volume of the evaporated solution is reduced by 50 %. An increase in the volume of evaporated moisture from 20 to 40 % contributes to an increase in the sludge yield from 11.8 to 22.9 %. The density of solutions increases with an increase in the volume of evaporated liquid, and the viscosity slightly decreases. During evaporation, the density increases from 1.298 g/cm3 when 20 % moisture is removed to 1.358 g/cm3 when 40 % moisture is evaporated at a temperature of 20 °C. In this case, the viscosity decreases from 2.072 to 2.007 mPa·s. It is shown that at a ratio of glaserite sodium sulfate to potassium chloride equal to 1 : 1, a temperature of 30 °C and process duration of 40 minutes, the degree of conversion reaches 86.65 % in terms of potassium.