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AssigneeFMC Corporation
InventorsWilliam C. Copenhafer, David E. Smith, Gerald F. Niedringhaus
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A process for producing valuable sodium-based chemicals from a brine containing sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate, such as those containing from about 8% to about 20% total alkali obtained by contacting water with an underground trona formation by heating the brine at about 100.degree. C. to about 140.degree. C. to evaporate water, convert sodium bicarbonate to sodium carbonate and to drive off resulting carbon dioxide, reacting the brine with reduced sodium bicarbonate with an aqueous sodium hydroxide solution in amounts to convert essentially all of the remaining sodium bicarbonate in the brine to sodium carbonate, cooling to about 5.degree. C. to about 25.degree. C. to precipitate sodium carbonate decahydrate crystals, separating the crystals from their mother liquor, melting the separate crystals to form a sodium carbonate solution, heating the solution to from above about 60.degree. C. to below 110.degree. C. to evaporate water, precipitating sodium carbonate monohydrate crystals, separating the sodium carbonate monohydrate crystals from their mother liquor and calcining them to soda ash which is recovered as a product. The sodium hydroxide used in the above process is formed preferably by causticizing sodium carbonate values with calcium oxide or calcium hydroxide in a separate but parallel operating causticizing circuit.
Process for providing sodium-based chemicals from a brine containing sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate which comprises heating the brine at a temperature of about 100.degree. C. to about 140.degree. C. to evaporate water, convert sodium bicarbonate to sodium carbonate and to drive off resulting carbon dioxide therefrom, reacting the resulting brine having a reduced sodium bicarbonate content with an aqueous sodium hydroxide solution in amounts to convert essentially all of the remaining sodium bicarbonate in the resulting brine to sodium carbonate, cooling the sodium hydroxide-treated brine to a temperature of about 5.degree. C. to about 25.degree. C., precipitating sodium carbonate decahydrate crystals, separating sodium carbonate decahydrate crystals from their mother liquor, melting separated crystals of sodium carbonate decahydrate to form a sodium carbonate solution, heating the resulting sodium carbonate solution to a temperature of above about 60.degree. C. to below about 110.degree. C. to evaporate water, precipitating sodium carbonate monohydrate crystals, separating the sodium carbonate monohydrate crystals from their mother liquor, calcining separated crystals of sodium carbonate monohydrate to produce soda ash and recovering the soda ash.
Process of providing valuable sodium-based chemicals from a brine containing sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate that is obtained by contact of water with an underground trona formation and which has a total alkali value of from about 8% to about 20% which comprises heating the brine at a temperature of about 100.degree. C. to about 140.degree. C. to evaporate water, convert sodium bicarbonate to sodium carbonate and to drive off resulting carbon dioxide therefrom, reacting the resulting brine having a reduced sodium bicarbonate content with an aqueous sodium hydroxide solution in amounts to convert essentially all of the remaining sodium bicarbonate in the resulting brine to sodium carbonate, said aqueous sodium hydroxide solution being formed by causticizing sodium carbonate values with calcium oxide or calcium hydroxide, cooling the sodium hydroxide-treated brine to a temperature of about 5.degree. C. to about 25.degree. C., precipitating sodium carbonate decahydrate crystals, separating sodium carbonate decahydrate crystals from their mother liquor, melting separated crystals of sodium carbonate decahydrate to form a sodium carbonate solution, heating the resulting sodium carbonate solution to a temperature of above about 60.degree. C. to below about 110.degree. C. to evaporate water, precipitating sodium carbonate monohydrate crystals, separating the sodium carbonate monohydrate crystals from their mother liquor, calcining separated crystals of sodium carbonate monohydrate to produce soda ash and recovering the soda ash.
Process for producing valuable sodium-based chemicals from a brine containing sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate which comprises contacting the brine with steam to heat it in a stripper stage to convert sodium bicarbonate to sodium carbonate and to strip off some resulting carbon dioxide therefrom, passing a portion of the stripped brine to an evaporating stage and heating it further at a temperature of about 100.degree. C. to about 140.degree. C. to evaporate water, convert additional sodium bicarbonate to sodium carbonate and to drive off additional resulting carbon dioxide therefrom, reacting the resulting evaporated brine having a reduced sodium bicarbonate content with an aqueous sodium hydroxide solution in amounts to convert essentially all of the remaining sodium bicarbonate in the evaporated brine to sodium carbonate, said aqueous sodium hydroxide solution being formed by causticizing the remaining portion of stripped brine with calcium oxide or calcium hydroxide, cooling the sodium hydroxide-treated brine to a temperature of about 5.degree. C. to about 25.degree. C., precipitating sodium carbonate decahydrate crystals, separating sodium decahydrate crystals from their mother liquor, melting separated crystals of sodium carbonate decahydrate to form a sodium carbonate solution, heating the resulting sodium carbonate solution to a temperature of above about 60.degree. C. to below about 100.degree. C. to evaporate water, precipitating sodium carbonate monohydrate crystals, separating the sodium carbonate monohydrate crystals from their mother liquor, calcining separated crystals of sodium carbonate monohydrate to produce soda ash and recovering the soda ash.
Process for producing valuable sodium-based chemicals from a brine containing sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate that is obtained by contact of water with an underground trona formation and which has a total alkali value of from about 8% to about 20% which comprises contacting the brine with steam to heat it in a stripper stage to convert sodium bicarbonate to sodium carbonate and to strip off some resulting carbon dioxide therefrom, passing a portion of the stripped brine to an evaporating stage and heating it further at a temperature of about 100.degree. C. to about 140.degree. C. to evaporate water, convert additional sodium bicarbonate to sodium carbonate and to drive off additional resulting carbon dioxide therefrom, reacting the resulting evaporated brine having a reduced sodium bicarbonate content with an aqueous sodium hydroxide solution in amounts to convert essentially all of the remaining sodium bicarbonate in the evaporated brine to sodium carbonate, said aqueous sodium hydroxide solution being formed by causticizing the remaining portion of stripped brine with calcium oxide or calcium hydroxide, cooling the sodium hydroxide-treated brine to a temperature of about 5.degree. C. to about 25.degree. C., precipitating sodium carbonate decahydrate crystals, separating sodium decahydrate crystals from their mother liquor, melting separated crystals of sodium carbonate decahydrate to form a sodium carbonate solution, heating the resulting sodium carbonate solution to a temperature of above about 60.degree. C. to below about 110.degree. C. to evaporate water, precipitating sodium carbonate monohydrate crystals, separating the sodium carbonate monohydrate crystals from their mother liquor, calcining separated crystals of sodium carbonate monohydrate to produce soda ash and recovering the soda ash.
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