Crystallization of sodalite particles under Bayer-type conditions

Radomirovic, Tomoko and Smith, Peter and Southam, Daniel and Tashi, Sonam and Jones, Franca. 2013. Crystallization of sodalite particles under Bayer-type conditions. Hydrometallurgy. 137: pp. 84-91.

Source Title

Hydrometallurgy

DOI

10.1016/j.hydromet.2013.05.006

ISSN

0304386X

Remarks

NOTICE: this is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in Hydrometallurgy. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in Hydrometallurgy, Volume 137, May 2013, Pages 84-91. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.hydromet.2013.05.006

URI

http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/38058

Collection

Curtin Research Publications

Abstract

The formation of desilication products (DSPs) is an important process in the pre-desilication step of the Bayer process, helping to limit the potential for unwanted scale on the heat exchangers by limiting the amount of silicate in the Bayer liquor. These solids generally have a crystalline sodalite structure, however, the fundamentals of crystallization are still to be fully understood. We show in this work that the DSP formed is initially amorphous when solution silicate is used. When kaolinite solids are present DSP is initially heterogeneously nucleated on the kaolinite but there is also a secondary nucleation event that occurs.