Process for producing sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate and associated compounds

摘要

A process for producing sodium carbonate from a variety of crude ores and brine containing sodium bicarbonate and sodium carbonate without the use of calcium carbonate. The process includes the steps of reacting the raw materials containing sodium bicarbonate and sodium carbonate with a bicarbonate filtrate containing ammonium chloride brine solution under heat, producing ammonia, carbon dioxide, and a mother liquor containing an aqueous solution of sodium chloride which is recycled. This solution may contain also sodium bicarbonate and sodium carbonate to enhance production. The mother liquor is separated and reacted with ammonia and carbon dioxide collected from the reacting step to crystalize sodium bicarbonate and produce an ammonium chloride brine solution which is recycled to react with the crude ore. In summary, the process will produce the equivalent sodium carbonate related to the ammonium chloride content of the bicarbonate filtrate in addition to the dissolved sodium carbonate values in the recycled ammonium chloride brine. The solution may be carried out on mined crude ore above ground or instead heated ammonium chloride brine solution may be pumped directly into the ore body in situ. Alternatively, heated sodium chloride solution may be passed through an underground ore deposit and the resulting solution reacted with ammonium chloride brine solution.