ENRICHMENT OF LOW-GRADE POLYHALITE FROM HIGH-GRADE SODIUM SULFATE-CONTAINING ORES THROUGH SELECTIVE LEACHING AND PRODUCTION METHOD OF POLYHALITE FERTILIZER AND SODIUM SULFATE

The selective leaching of high-grade sodium sulfate and low-grade polyhalite ores using sodium sulfate solution addresses inefficiencies and environmental issues, enabling high recovery yields of polyhalite fertilizer and sodium sulfate with minimal energy and environmental impact.

TR202612149A3Pending Publication Date: 2026-10-21DS BİO & NANO TEKNOLOJİ ÜRÜN TAKİP DOĞRULAMA İÇ & DIŞ TİCARET ANONİM ŞİRKETİ
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Patent Information

Application Number
TR202612149
Authority / Receiving Office
TR · TR
Patent Type
Applications
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2026-07-21
Publication Date
2026-10-21

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing methods for processing high-grade sodium sulfate and low-grade polyhalite ores are energy-intensive, environmentally harmful, and inefficient, leading to mineral loss and occupational hazards, while current applications fail to produce polyhalite fertilizer in its whole form without decomposition.

Method used

A selective leaching process using sodium sulfate solution at controlled temperatures and concentrations to separate polyhalite and sodium sulfate, preserving the polyhalite mineral phase and producing high-grade polyhalite fertilizer and sodium sulfate products.

Benefits of technology

The process achieves high recovery yields of polyhalite (93.15%) and sodium sulfate (96.2%) with low energy consumption and minimal environmental impact, producing stable, crystalline polyhalite fertilizer and sodium sulfate suitable for various industrial uses.

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Abstract

The invention relates to an integrated production process that enables the simultaneous and high-yield recovery of polyhalite fertilizer and sodium sulfate products from complex ore structures containing high-grade sodium sulfate (Tenardite, Blödite and Globerite; >20% Na₂O) and low-grade polyhalite (<8-10% K₂O), by eliminating the disadvantages of calcination and high-energy heat treatments in the current state of the art. In the process, raw ore with a size of 800-1000 mm is gradually reduced to a size of 20-50 mm in the jaw crusher (110) and cone crusher (120) and then fed into the leaching tank (130). At the same time, sodium sulfate solution (301), whose concentration is adjusted according to the ore content, is fed into the leaching tank from the solution tank (300); by the common ion effect of the sodium and sulfate ion concentration in this solution, the self-dissolution equilibrium of the polyhalite mineral is suppressed, preventing the dissolution of potassium and magnesium salts and ensuring that only the sodium sulfate in the ore selectively passes into the liquid phase. After the solid-liquid separation provided in Filter Press-1 (140), polyhalite fertilizer (161) is obtained from the solid phase by Rotary Dryer-1 (150) and Pellet Mill (160); sodium sulfate (201) is produced from the liquid phase by Evaporator (170) and Crystallizer (180). The low concentration solution (192) separated in Filter Press-2 (190) is fed back to the solution tank (300) to ensure closed-loop production. The main advantages of this invention include: using a sodium sulfate solution obtained from the process's own product stream instead of an external chemical reagent as a leaching agent; offering a simplified process flow due to the absence of a calcium-derived byproduct (gypsum); operating on a zero-waste principle by converting almost all components in the ore into economic value; recovering all used process water back into the system; preventing harmful gas emissions such as CO₂ and SO₂; and significantly lower energy consumption compared to conventional methods.
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