TECHNOLOGICAL RESULT OF

DECOMPOSITION SODIUM
ALUMINATE SOLUTIONS
DEPENDING ON THE
DECOMPOSITION PARAMETERS
R. Smiljanić1, D. Smiljanić1 , R. Filipović1, M. Sudar2
1. Alumina factory “Birac“, Zvornik, RS, Bosnia and
Herzegovina
2. Faculty of Technology, Zvornik, RS, Bosnia and
Herzegovina
The alumina factory consists of the following units:
• Bauxite crushing and grinding
• Desilication
• Digestion
• Settling and washing of bauxite residue
• Bauxite residue filtration
• Control filtration
• Decomposition
• Classification
• Hydrate filtration
• Evaporation
• Calcination
INVESTIGATED INPUT PARAMETERS OF DECOMPOSITION
• concentration of Al2O3 in sodium aluminate solutions,
• temperature regime of decomposition
• time of decomposition
• seed ratio and median diameter of seed

INVESTIGATED OUTPUT PARAMETERS OF DECOMPOSITION

• Specific technological result of decomposition
Trs = (C(Al 2O3) x ηr )/100 , (kg/m3)

• Degree of decomposition sodium aluminate solution

ηr = ( 1- α cA /α cM ) x 100 , (%)

Where are:
α cA – caustic module of initial sodium aluminate solution,
α cM - caustic module of sodium aluminate solution after decomposition (mother
liquor).
Caustic module is mass ratio of c (Al2O3) to c (Na2Ok) in sodium aluminate
solution.
The experimental research used the following methods:

1. Technological methods - technological method of

decomposition sodium aluminate solution
2. Standard test methods:
• Volumetric method
• Optical methods of chemical analysis
• Detremination of particle size distribution by lasser
diffraction
3. Mathematical and statistical methods
4. Modern computer technology
Particle-size distribution of seed and decomposed suspension
was measured by Microsizer model 201 C.
• Influence of sodium aluminate solution concentration
on a specific technological result and degree of
decomposition

Figure 1 Specific results and degree of decomposition, depending on the

concentration Al2O3
• Research results of temperature regime influence on
specific result and degree of decomposition

Figure 2 Dependence of specific results and decomposition degree

from initial and final temperatures
• Results of examination of decomposition time influence on
specific result and the degree of decomposition

Figure 3 Decomposition time and the degree of decomposition

• Results of examination of seed ratio influence and seed
median diameter on specific result and the degree of
decomposition

Figure 4 Influence of seed median diameter and seed ratio on

decomposition
 CONCLUSIONS
• With the increase of Al2O3 concentration in the sodium aluminate solution to
the limit Na2Ok concentration, increases the specific result of decomposition

• Higher specific result and the degree of decomposition are obtained by

reducing the initial and final decomposition temperatures to influence limit
on concentration of bound sodium in aluminum hydroxide and on the
filterability of solution.
• By increasing the median diameter of seed particles at the constant seed
ratio, the total active surface area of seed is reducing. Result is reduction of
the degree and specific results of decomposition.
• With increase of seed ratio at constant median seed diameter to the limit
occurrence of polycrystallization, active surface area of seed increases,
which causes better decomposition of sodium aluminate solution.
• The specific result of sodium aluminate solution decomposition higher than
85 kg/m3 can be achieved by optimizing the input parameters of
decomposition.