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

Abstract

The mining and mineral processing industry generates signi cant amounts of process liquor containing su cient concentrations of sodium hydroxide (NaOH). This abstract presents a technical overview of the carbonation process applied to process liquor using boiler ue gas as a source of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ).The carbonation of process liquor using boiler ue gas offers several advantages. Firstly, it provides a sustainable solution for CO 2 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 e ciency and reduced operational costs by facilitating the removal of impurities and the recovery of valuable metals or minerals. Factors such as temperature, pressure, pH, CO 2 concentration, and reaction time must be carefully controlled to ensure e cient carbonation and maximize CO 2 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.