A process is developed wherein sodium carbonate is reclaimed from Trona-treated fly ash waste stream, and the fly ash rendered suitable for use as a Pozzolan. The process is a closed system wherein all separated aspects of the waste stream are reused by the generating power plant or offered as a commercial product.

A process is developed wherein sodium carbonate is reclaimed from Trona-treated fly ash waste stream, and the fly ash rendered suitable for use as a Pozzolan. The process is a closed system wherein all separated aspects of the waste stream are reused by the generating power plant or offered as a commercial product.

Process for producing sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate in a continuous mode out of trona comprising: c) feeding crushed trona, an extraction water and an additive in a first leaching tank containing a dissolution solution comprising sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate, wherein the additive is selected from the group consisting of: anionic hexametaphosphate, anionic polyphosphate, anionic polyphosphonate, soja lecithine, anionic polycarboxylate polymer, anionic polyacrylate polymer, anionic polyacrylate-polyacrylamide co-polymer, anionic hydrolyzed polymaleic polymers, anionic maleic-acrylic acids copolymers, anionic acrylic acid-phosphonic acid copolymers and combinations thereof; d) dissolving at least partially the crushed trona in the dissolution solution in order to produce a first suspension; e) removing continuously the first suspension from the first leaching tank and feeding it with an additive into a second leaching tank wherein the additive is selected from the same group of additives of step c); f) dissolving at least partially the remaining crushed trona from step d) in the second leaching tank in order to produce a second suspension; g) separating the second solid particles from the second solution to produce a production solution comprising sodium carbonate and to produce a production solid comprising the second solid particles comprising sodium bicarbonate.

Process for producing sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate in a continuous mode out of trona comprising: c) feeding crushed trona, an extraction water and an additive in a first leaching tank containing a dissolution solution comprising sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate, wherein the additive is selected from the group consisting of: anionic hexametaphosphate, anionic polyphosphate, anionic polyphosphonate, soja lecithine, anionic polycarboxylate polymer, anionic polyacrylate polymer, anionic polyacrylate-polyacrylamide co-polymer, anionic hydrolyzed polymaleic polymers, anionic maleic-acrylic acids copolymers, anionic acrylic acid-phosphonic acid copolymers and combinations thereof; d) dissolving at least partially the crushed trona in the dissolution solution in order to produce a first suspension; e) removing continuously the first suspension from the first leaching tank and feeding it with an additive into a second leaching tank wherein the additive is selected from the same group of additives of step c); f) dissolving at least partially the remaining crushed trona from step d) in the second leaching tank in order to produce a second suspension; g) separating the second solid particles from the second solution to produce a production solution comprising sodium carbonate and to produce a production solid comprising the second solid particles comprising sodium bicarbonate.

Described is a method for extracting alkali from silicates under carbon neutral conditions. The method involves providing a reaction mixture containing an alkali-bearing aluminosilicate composition and an alkali base composition. The reaction mixture is treated with a combined activation and leaching process to form a concentrated alkali-silicate solution and an alkali aluminosilicate solid residue, where carbon dioxide is produced as a carbon dioxide reusable co-product from the activation. The alkali aluminosilicate solid residue is reacted with a first portion of the carbon dioxide reusable co-product to form an alkali leached aluminosilicate composition, thereby extracting alkali from the alkali-bearing aluminosilicate composition. Also described are methods of making inorganic polymer cement and concrete from the products and/or co-products produced by the method of extracting.

Described is a method for extracting alkali from silicates under carbon neutral conditions. The method involves providing a reaction mixture containing an alkali-bearing aluminosilicate composition and an alkali base composition. The reaction mixture is treated with a combined activation and leaching process to form a concentrated alkali-silicate solution and an alkali aluminosilicate solid residue, where carbon dioxide is produced as a carbon dioxide reusable co-product from the activation. The alkali aluminosilicate solid residue is reacted with a first portion of the carbon dioxide reusable co-product to form an alkali leached aluminosilicate composition, thereby extracting alkali from the alkali-bearing aluminosilicate composition. Also described are methods of making inorganic polymer cement and concrete from the products and/or co-products produced by the method of extracting.

A soda ash and sodium bicarbonate production method is provided, in which solution mining, pretreatment, stripping, concentration, sodium carbonate decahydrate crystallization, separation, dissolution, sodium carbonate monohydrate crystallization, separation and drying are performed to obtain dense soda ash. A dissolved sodium carbonate decahydrate solution or a concentrated brine 3 is subjected to crystallization, separation and drying to produce sodium bicarbonate. A discharge liquid 1 generated in the sodium carbonate decahydrate crystallization and separation is subjected to causticization and evaporation to recycle sodium carbonate. Causticized sludge generated in causticization is calcined and then recycled for causticization. The process provided herein maximizes the resource utilization.

A soda ash and sodium bicarbonate production method is provided, in which solution mining, pretreatment, stripping, concentration, sodium carbonate decahydrate crystallization, separation, dissolution, sodium carbonate monohydrate crystallization, separation and drying are performed to obtain dense soda ash. A dissolved sodium carbonate decahydrate solution or a concentrated brine 3 is subjected to crystallization, separation and drying to produce sodium bicarbonate. A discharge liquid 1 generated in the sodium carbonate decahydrate crystallization and separation is subjected to causticization and evaporation to recycle sodium carbonate. Causticized sludge generated in causticization is calcined and then recycled for causticization. The process provided herein maximizes the resource utilization.

A method of forming lithium carbonate from a lithium-bearing solution including: evaporating the lithium-bearing solution to precipitate a first group of impurities; removing the first group of impurities to form a first purified solution; and performing a flash crystallisation step within a predetermined temperature range to crystallise a second group of impurities from the first purified solution; removing the second group of impurities from the first solution to form a second purified solution, wherein at least 90 wt % of lithium is recovered from the first purified solution; and reacting the second purified solution with a metal carbonate to form lithium carbonate of at least 90 wt % purity.

A method of forming lithium carbonate from a lithium-bearing solution including: evaporating the lithium-bearing solution to precipitate a first group of impurities; removing the first group of impurities to form a first purified solution; and performing a flash crystallisation step within a predetermined temperature range to crystallise a second group of impurities from the first purified solution; removing the second group of impurities from the first solution to form a second purified solution, wherein at least 90 wt % of lithium is recovered from the first purified solution; and reacting the second purified solution with a metal carbonate to form lithium carbonate of at least 90 wt % purity.