Physical and Chemical Activation of Quartz Raw Materials with Sodium Hydroxide in the Ratio of the Eutectic Composition in the Na2O – SiO2 System

Abstract

The purpose of this work was to continue research on the activation of quartz raw materials using alkali metal hydroxides. This paper presents a theoretical justification and practical confirmation of the physical and chemical activation of quartz raw materials by sodium hydroxide, taking into account the eutectic ratios in the Na2O–SiO2 system.Methods. Quartz glass sand VS-030-B was chosen as a source of quartz raw materials; as a sodium-containing raw material flake sodium hydroxide brand TR. For the scientific basis, the phase diagram of Na2O-SiO2 of Berezhny was used. To study the phase composition of activated quartz sand, X-ray phase analysis was used; to study a particle of the activation product of quartz sand and sodium hydroxide, scanning electron microscopy was used. To confirm the effectiveness of the developed method, comparative pulping of sodium vitreous silicate was carried out according to the proposed method and previously known ones.Results. A method has been developed for activating quartz raw materials with sodium hydroxide to obtain vitreous sodium silicates using a mixture of two activation products, to obtain one of which parts of quartz raw materials and sodium hydroxide are taken in an eutectic ratio, and to obtain another activation product, the remainder of quartz raw materials and the calculated minimum the amount of sodium hydroxide required to obtain a shell on a quartz grain.Conclusion. Based on the results of comparative experimental cooking of tableted mixtures for silicate lumps using the developed method for activating quartz raw materials and using a mixture of quartz sand and sodium carbonate, the efficiency of the developed method, expressed in reducing the cooking temperature, is experimentally affected. The results of the study were issued in the form of a patent of the Russian Federation No. 2714415 "Method of preparing a charge for alkaline silicate glass".