Improving grinding in a alumina extraction process
View Patent ↗The present disclosure pertains to a method of improving the grinding of a bauxite containing slurry during the grinding stage of an alumina extraction process. Specifically, an effective amount of one or more non-ionic surfactants, polyglycols, polyglycol ethers, anionic surfactants, anionic polymers, or a combination thereof are added to said bauxite containing slurry during the grinding stage of an alumina extraction process to achieve an improved effect.
1. A method of improving the grinding of a bauxite containing slurry during the grinding stage of an alumina extraction process comprising:
a. adding an effective amount of one or more non-ionic surfactants, polyglycols, polyglycol ethers, anionic surfactants, anionic polymers, or a combination thereof to said bauxite containing slurry during the grinding stage of an alumina extraction process.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said alumina extraction process is a Bayer process.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein said non-ionic surfactants are selected from the group consisting of: oxyalkylated alcohols; ethoxylated alcohols; propoxylated alcohols; polyether polyol; propoxylated glycerine/sucrose; ethylene oxide/propylene oxide block copolymer; ethoxylated alkylphenols; ethoxylated octylphenols; ethoxylated nonylphenols; ethoxylated nonylphenols/tall oil fatty acid; fatty alcohol ethoxylate; alkylphenol ethoxylate; fatty acid ethoxylate; fatty amide ethoxylate; fatty amine ethoxylate; alkyl glucoside; sorbitan alkanoate; ethoxylated sorbitan alkanoate; and a combination thereof.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein said polyglycols are polypropylene glycols.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein said polyglycols have a number average molecular weight of from about 200 daltons to about 1200 daltons.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein said polyglycols have a number average molecular weight of from about 400 daltons to about 800 daltons.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein said anionic surfactants are selected from the group consisting of: alkyl sulfate; alkyl ethercarboxylate; alkylbenzene sulfonate; diallyl sulfosuccinate; alkyl phosphate; alkyl etherphosphate; tall oil fatty acid/ethoxylated nonylphenol; dioctyl sulfosuccinate; and a combination thereof.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein said effective amount is greater than about 10 ppm.
9. The method of claim 1 wherein said effective amount is from about 10 ppm to about 1000 ppm.
10. The method of claim 1 wherein said effective amount is from about 150 ppm to about 500 ppm.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein said anionic polymers are terpolymers of acrylate, acrylamide, and acrylosulphonate.
12. The method of claim 1 wherein said anionic polymers are acrylic acid containing polymers.
13. The method of claim 1 wherein said anionic polymers are sulfonated.
14. The method of claim 1 wherein said anionic polymers are acrylic acid/methacrylate copolymers.
15. The method of claim 1 wherein said anionic polymers are terpolymers.