Process for the formulation of potassium chloride from a carnallite source
AssigneeKarnalyte Resources Inc.
InventorRobin Phinney
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Abstract
A process for formulating high purity potassium chloride from a carnallite source. The process takes advantage of solubility differences and saturation levels in a multiple salt system generated upon dissolution of carnallite. In the system, the sodium chloride is kept in solution and the magnesium chloride present in the system is controlled to be in a concentration range of between 12% and 25% by weight. This avoids co-precipitation of sodium chloride with the potassium chloride during crystallization and therefore prevents the sodium chloride from contaminating the potassium chloride. The result is high grade potassium chloride.
Claims10
A method of formulating potassium chloride from a source of carnallite, comprising:
- providing a source of carnallite;
- dissolving said source of carnallite to result in a solution at least containing sodium chloride, potassium chloride, and magnesium chloride;
- removing undissolved said sodium chloride;
- maintaining, absent addition of magnesium chloride, undersaturation of the magnesium chloride concentration existing in the solution in a range between 12% and 25% by weight throughout said method to prevent co-precipitation of any sodium chloride with potassium chloride;
- and
- crystallizing potassium chloride from said solution with a sodium chloride of not greater than 2% by weight, whereby said potassium chloride has a high purity.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.