Pre-desilication and digestion of gibbsitic bauxite with lime in sodium aluminate liquor

The effect of lime on the pre-desilication and digestion of gibbsitic bauxite in synthetic sodium aluminate liquor at different tem- peratures was investigated. The bauxite is comprised of gibbsite, aluminogoethite, hematite, kaolin, quartz, and minor boehmite. Lime in- creases the desilication efficiency of the bauxite during the pre-desilication process by promoting the conversion of sodalite and cancrinite to hydrogamet. Desilication reactions during the digestion process promoted by lime result in the loss of A1203 entering the red mud, but the amount of aluminogoethite-to-hematite conversion promoted by lime leads to the increase of aluminogoethific A1203 entering the digested liquor. The alumina digestion rate at 245~C is higher than that at 145 C due to the more pronounced conversion of aluminogoethite to hema- tite. The soda consumption during the digestion process decreases due to lime addition, especially at higher temperatures.

Effect of Iron Oxides on Activity of Calcium Aluminate Clinker in CaO-Al_2O_3-SiO_2 System

The sintering characteristics at 1350℃ and leaching property at 80℃ of calcium aluminate clinkers in the CaO-Al2O3-SiO2 （C-A-S） system with different additions of FeO and Fe2O3 were investigated. FeO inhibits the conversion of β-Ca2SiO4 to γ-Ca2SiO4 and makes the clinker not pulverizable. FeO and Fe2O3 inhibit the formation of CaAl2O4, but promote the formation of Ca12Al14O33. The interplanar spacing at （2 1 1） crystal face of Ca12 Al14O33 in the clinker increases with the increase of FeO addition, which indicates that FeO forms solid solutions in Ca12Al14O33. The clinkers with Fe2O3 addition form a new phase Ca2Fe2O5, and the amount of Ca2Fe2o5 increases with the in crease of Fe2O3 addition. Both FeO and Fe2O3 do not affect the Al2O3 leaching rate of calcium aluminate clinker in sodium carbonate solution, but they increase the molar ratio of caustic Na2O to Al2O3 in the leached liquor.