Potassium Chloride Extraction from Sea Water Using Calcium Precipitation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for obtaining potassium chloride from sea water are costly and inefficient due to contamination issues and the high expense of using calcium chloride for sulfate removal, as well as the complexity of processing carnallite and other sea salts.
Innovation Solution
The process involves reacting sea water, sea bitterns, or sea salts with calcium hydroxide or calcium oxide to remove sulfate and magnesium ions, resulting in sulfate and magnesium-free solutions that are then evaporated to produce sylvinite, which is further processed to obtain high-grade potassium chloride.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If calcium chloride is used to remove sulfates from sea water bitterns, then sulfate removal is achieved, but the process becomes expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces expensive calcium chloride with cheaper calcium hydroxide or calcium oxide as the sulfate removal agent. These alternative calcium compounds are more cost-effective while achieving the same desulfation function, thereby reducing process cost while maintaining sulfate removal effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the chemical form of calcium compound from chloride to hydroxide or oxide. This parameter change allows the use of more economical materials while maintaining the ability to react with sulfates to form insoluble calcium sulfate precipitate, thus resolving the contradiction between complete sulfate removal and process cost
2Productivity
If refrigeration is used to remove epsomite from sea water bitterns, then some sulfate removal is achieved, but potassium chloride becomes contaminated with sulfates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes sulfate ions from the solution through chemical precipitation using calcium compounds. By completely precipitating sulfates as insoluble calcium sulfate and separating them from the solution, the method achieves both efficient sulfate removal and high potassium chloride purity, resolving the contradiction between productivity and manufacturing precision
3Productivity
If carnallite is processed to obtain potassium chloride, then potassium chloride is produced, but the product is contaminated with epsomite
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary desulfation treatment to the sea water bitterns before carnallite formation. By removing sulfates in advance through calcium compound precipitation, the subsequent carnallite processing yields high-purity potassium chloride without epsomite contamination, thus resolving the contradiction between productivity and purity
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method effectively reduces costs and contamination, achieving high-purity potassium chloride production by removing sulfates and magnesium, thereby improving the efficiency of potassium chloride extraction from sea water and salts.
Implementation Method 1
reacting sea water, sea bitterns, or sea salts with calcium hydroxide or calcium oxide to remove sulfate and magnesium ions
Implementation Method 2
sulfate and magnesium-free solutions that are then evaporated to produce sylvinite
Implementation Method 3
reacting sea water, sea bitterns, or sea salts with calcium hydroxide or calcium oxide to remove sulfate and magnesium ions
Data Source
AI summary
Provided herein are processes for obtaining sylvinite and/or sylvite from sea water, sea bitterns and/or sea salts. The processes comprise reacting sea water, sea bitterns and/or sea salts with calcium hydroxide and/or calcium oxide.