The present invention provides a method (600a) and apparatus for producing an alkaline mixture comprising
sodium silicate, which mixture is suitable for use as an alkaline activator for alkaline activated and
geopolymer cements, but which may also be used, for example, to mineralize captured
carbon dioxide. The method comprises comminuting (301) an ore of a target
metal into fines, wherein the ore comprises a siliceous mineral and at least one of iron and
manganese as the target
metal. The siliceous mineral may comprise the target
metal itself and / or it may be silica and / or another
silicate mineral present as
gangue. The ore is dehydrated and hydroxylated compounds contained therein are dehydroxylated (302). The ore thus treated is then reacted (601) in an
inert atmosphere with an amount of liquid
sodium in excess of the stoichiometric amount thereof required for a
redox reaction between the liquid
sodium and an
oxide of the target metal from the ore, to precipitate out from the liquid sodium a
solid phase comprising both the target metal in elemental form and other insoluble products comprising
sodium oxide. The
redox reaction is conducted at a temperature of at least 320 °Celsius to induce a reaction between the
sodium oxide and silica derived from the siliceous mineral to produce
sodium silicate, but also below a temperature at which the liquid sodium can react with the
oxide of the target metal to produce a ternary
oxide thereof. At least some of the liquid sodium having
sodium silicate dissolved therein is then separated (305) from the
solid phase and is reacted (602) with at least one of
oxygen and water to produce a mixture comprising
sodium silicate and at least one of
sodium oxide and
sodium hydroxide. The corresponding apparatus comprises a
comminution device (such as a rock
crusher or grinder), means for dehydrating and dehydroxylating the ore (such as a dryer), a gas-tight first reaction vessel for reacting the ore thus treated with the liquid sodium, a
solid-liquid sodium phase separator, and a second reaction vessel for reacting the liquid sodium having sodium
silicate dissolved therein with at least one of
oxygen and water. The resulting alkaline mixture is therefore produced whilst extracting the target metal in elemental form from its ore. Thus the energy consumed is split between the production of these two co-products, making the method of the invention a low-
energy method of producing an alkaline activator for alkaline activated and
geopolymer cements. Both reactions (601, 602) are also significantly exothermic and at least some of the
thermal energy from them may be recycled. The invention does not consume any carbon and is therefore at least carbon-neutral. On the other hand, it consumes the silica content of
gangue mineral species and / or of siliceous minerals of the target metal in its ore, which have previously been treated as waste products. The amount of
waste material produced when extracting the target metal from its ore is thereby reduced as well.