Uncalcined Trona Beneficiation for Flue Gas Desulfurization

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for producing trona ore for dry injection flue gas desulfurization are limited by the need for calcination, which reduces the sodium sesquicarbonate content and increases costs, while also facing challenges with high insoluble impurity content that complicates drying and calcination processes.

Innovation Solution

A method involving mechanical mining, crushing, and beneficiating trona ore without prior drying to separate trona-rich and impurities-depleted fractions, followed by non-calcining drying to produce a high-purity, low-moisture trona product with a high sodium bicarbonate to sodium carbonate ratio, ensuring minimal calcination and efficient drying.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If traditional calcination methods are used to process trona ore, then the ore can be dried and processed, but the sodium sesquicarbonate content is reduced and operational costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesodium sesquicarbonate contentVSAvoidoperational costs

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the processing parameters by eliminating the calcination step entirely and using non-calcining drying conditions (lower temperatures, controlled atmosphere) to preserve the sodium sesquicarbonate content while still achieving the necessary moisture reduction for flue gas desulfurization application

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts and removes the harmful calcination step from the traditional processing sequence, separating the essential drying function from the damaging high-temperature treatment, thereby preserving the valuable sodium sesquicarbonate component

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Manufacturing precision

If high insoluble impurity content is present in trona ore, then drying and calcination processes become complicated, but mechanical mining and crushing can separate trona-rich fractions

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetrona ore purityVSAvoiddrying and calcination process complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary mechanical mining and crushing operations to separate trona-rich fractions from impurities-rich fractions before the drying step, simplifying the subsequent drying process by reducing the total impurity load that would complicate heat and mass transfer

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent segments the trona ore into trona-rich particles and impurities-rich particles through mechanical crushing and separation, allowing the drying process to focus on the smaller, cleaner trona fraction with reduced complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Productivity

If prior drying is performed before beneficiation, then moisture is reduced, but the patent achieves better results by beneficiating unbeneficiated ore without prior drying

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebeneficiation efficiencyVSAvoidmoisture content

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent inverts the traditional sequence by performing beneficiation on wet, unbeneficiated ore first, then drying the already-separated trona-rich fraction, which proves more efficient than drying before beneficiation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

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

The method results in a high-purity, uncalcined trona product with enhanced sodium sesquicarbonate content, maximizing contaminant removal efficiency and reducing operational costs, while maintaining low moisture levels to prevent product degradation during storage and use.

Implementation Method 1

beneficiating the crushed uncalcined trona ore to obtain a trona-rich, impurities-depleted ore fraction

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectDensity separation: Density Gradient

Implementation Method 2

drying the trona-rich ore fraction under non-calcining conditions to yield a dry uncalcined trona ore

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectEvaporation: Evaporation

Data Source

PatentUS9327233B2Method of beneficiating and drying trona ore useful for flue gas desulfurization

Publication Date: 2016.05.03 WE SODA WYOMING LP

AI summary

A method of producing trona suitable for flue gas desulfurization comprising mechanically mining a trona ore deposit containing insoluble impurities; crushing the mined trona ore to create a mixture of uncalcined trona-rich particles and impurities-rich particles; beneficiating the crushed uncalcined trona ore to obtain a trona-rich, impurities-depleted ore fraction; and drying the trona-rich ore fraction under non-calcining conditions to yield a dry uncalcined trona ore. A preferred embodiment includes concurrently milling and drying the trona-rich, impurities-depleted ore fraction to recover a low moisture content trona product having a high NaHCO3:Na2CO3 ratio, useful for the efficient dry injection desulfurization of flue gas streams.