A Method of Treating Potash
AssigneePotasio Rio Colorado S.A.
InventorsRaymond Walter Shaw, Robin John Batterham
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Abstract
A method of separating potassium chloride and sodium chloride from a heated solution of these salts, such as a solution obtained from potash ore, to recover potassium chloride from the ore is disclosed. The method includes a combination of steps of (a) extracting water from a heated solution containing potassium chloride and sodium chloride using a membrane system and (b) subsequently cooling the solution discharged from the membrane system, whereby steps (a) and (b) make it possible to selectively recover potassium chloride and sodium chloride from the solution.
Claims15
A method of separating potassium chloride and sodium chloride from a heated solution of these salts including the steps of:
- (a) forming a heated solution containing potassium chloride and sodium chloride derived from a suitable source;
- (b) passing the solution through a membrane system and removing water from the solution and thereby increasing the concentration of sodium chloride in the solution above the solubility of the salt at the temperature of the solution and precipitating sodium chloride from the solution;
- (c) separating the precipitated sodium chloride from the solution;
- (d) cooling the solution and thereby decreasing the solubility of potassium chloride below the concentration of potassium chloride in the solution and thereby precipitating potassium chloride from the solution;
- and
- (e) separating potassium chloride from the solution.
A method of separating potassium chloride and sodium chloride from a heated solution of these salts that includes a combination of steps of (a) extracting water from a heated solution containing potassium chloride and sodium chloride using a membrane system and (b) subsequently cooling the solution discharged from the membrane system, whereby steps (a) and (b) make it possible to selectively recover potassium chloride and sodium chloride from the solution.
A method of separating potassium chloride, sodium chloride and magnesium chloride from a heated solution of these salts that includes a combination of steps of (a) extracting water from a heated solution containing potassium chloride, sodium chloride and magnesium chloride using a membrane system and (b) subsequently cooling the solution discharged from the membrane system, whereby steps (a) and (b) make it possible to selectively recover potassium chloride, sodium chloride and magnesium chloride from the solution.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.