Carbonation and modeling study for process liquor in batch mode using flue gas in the mining and mineral processing industry

Abstract

Abstract ​The mining and mineral processing industry generates significant amounts of process liquor containing sufficient concentrations of sodium hydroxide (NaOH). This abstract presents a technical overview of the carbonation process applied to process liquor using boiler flue gas as a source of carbon dioxide (CO2). The carbonation of process liquor using boiler flue gas offers several advantages. Firstly, it provides a sustainable solution for CO2 capture and storage, reducing the environmental impact of the mining and mineral processing industry. Secondly, the carbonation process results in the production of stable carbonate or bicarbonate compounds that can be used as valuable byproducts or raw materials in other industrial processes. Furthermore, the carbonation of process liquor can lead to improved process efficiency and reduced operational costs by facilitating the removal of impurities and the recovery of valuable metals or minerals. Factors such as temperature, pressure, pH, CO2 concentration, and reaction time must be carefully controlled to ensure efficient carbonation and maximize CO2 utilization. Trials were conducted for the effective carbonation of process liquor generated in the mineral processing industry, which contains caustic lye. This technical paper discusses successful experiments conducted for the carbonation of process liquor and further modelling and implementation of this study.