Described herein is a process for the production of potassium sulfate and ammonium sulfate from syngenite. Specifically, the syngenite is produced from waste liquors and low value minerals and is used to produce valuable secondary products. Specifically, instead of performing the decomposition reaction in one step at high temperature, this process performs the reaction in 2 steps at temperatures lower than the decomposition temperature of ammonium bicarbonate: a first step to reach the equilibrium and produce saturated potassium sulfate brine, and a second step to complete the syngenite decomposition reaction.

Described herein is a process for the production of potassium sulfate and ammonium sulfate from syngenite. Specifically, the syngenite is produced from waste liquors and low value minerals and is used to produce valuable secondary products. Specifically, instead of performing the decomposition reaction in one step at high temperature, this process performs the reaction in 2 steps at temperatures lower than the decomposition temperature of ammonium bicarbonate: a first step to reach the equilibrium and produce saturated potassium sulfate brine, and a second step to complete the syngenite decomposition reaction.

The invention relates to a process for selective flotation of kainite from crushed crude potash salts or, for example, from crystallized salt mixtures obtained by evaporation processes, which in addition to kainite may contain further minerals such as halite, sylvine and other salt minerals, for example, in order to produce a kainite concentrate fraction and a residues fraction. The separation process is characterized in that the crushed or crystallized salt mixture is intensively mixed as a crystallizate suspension with a combination of conditioning agents consisting of a sulfated fatty acid or its alkali metal salt as collecting reagent and a frothing agent known for flotation (for example, glycol ether, monohydric aliphatic alcohols, terpene alcohols, polyglycol ethers, etc.) and is then separated by agitator-driven or pneumatic flotation into a kainite concentrate fraction and a residues fraction. The resulting fractions may be further processed in downstream processes. This process permits industrial-scale processing for selective extraction of kainite from mineral mixtures by means of the flotation process.

The invention relates to a process for selective flotation of kainite from crushed crude potash salts or, for example, from crystallized salt mixtures obtained by evaporation processes, which in addition to kainite may contain further minerals such as halite, sylvine and other salt minerals, for example, in order to produce a kainite concentrate fraction and a residues fraction. The separation process is characterized in that the crushed or crystallized salt mixture is intensively mixed as a crystallizate suspension with a combination of conditioning agents consisting of a sulfated fatty acid or its alkali metal salt as collecting reagent and a frothing agent known for flotation (for example, glycol ether, monohydric aliphatic alcohols, terpene alcohols, polyglycol ethers, etc.) and is then separated by agitator-driven or pneumatic flotation into a kainite concentrate fraction and a residues fraction. The resulting fractions may be further processed in downstream processes. This process permits industrial-scale processing for selective extraction of kainite from mineral mixtures by means of the flotation process.

According to some embodiments there is provided a process for the recovery of SOP from Sulphate bearing mineral and Carnallite or Sylvenite, comprising: Dissolving Carnallite in water to obtain Sylvenite and high Magnesium Chloride brine; Adding Sodium Sulphate to said Carnallite to produce mixture of Kainte\Leonite, KCl and NaCl precipitant and brine containing Mg Cl.sub.2, KCl, NaCl; Separating the NaCl from the mixture; Obtaining a precipitant mixture of Leonite with KCl; Filtering said Leonite and washing with water to yield pure mixture of Leonite with KCl; Adding KCl to the Leonite with the KCl; and Decompose said Leonite with the KCl to SOP.

According to some embodiments there is provided a process for the recovery of SOP from Sulphate bearing mineral and Carnallite or Sylvenite, comprising: Dissolving Carnallite in water to obtain Sylvenite and high Magnesium Chloride brine; Adding Sodium Sulphate to said Carnallite to produce mixture of Kainte\Leonite, KCl and NaCl precipitant and brine containing Mg Cl.sub.2, KCl, NaCl; Separating the NaCl from the mixture; Obtaining a precipitant mixture of Leonite with KCl; Filtering said Leonite and washing with water to yield pure mixture of Leonite with KCl; Adding KCl to the Leonite with the KCl; and Decompose said Leonite with the KCl to SOP.

A method for producing a double sulfate of potassium and magnesium by dry mechanical attrition of potassium sulfate and magnesium sulfate hexahydrate, comprising obtaining potassium sulfate by sulfatation of potash to bisulfate of potassium and disproportionation of the bisulfate of potassium to potassium sulfate in a water-methanol solution, and obtaining magnesium sulfate hexahydrate by sonic-assisted partial sulfatation of calcined serpentinic silicate.

A method for producing a double sulfate of potassium and magnesium by dry mechanical attrition of potassium sulfate and magnesium sulfate hexahydrate, comprising obtaining potassium sulfate by sulfatation of potash to bisulfate of potassium and disproportionation of the bisulfate of potassium to potassium sulfate in a water-methanol solution, and obtaining magnesium sulfate hexahydrate by sonic-assisted partial sulfatation of calcined serpentinic silicate.

Systems and methods of producing potassium sulfate can involve converting a mixed salts feed stream into a conversion end slurry in a conversion unit, the mixed salts feed comprising at least one potassium-containing salt, at least one chloride-containing salt, at least one magnesium-containing salt and at least one sulfate-containing salt and the conversion end slurry comprising schoenite; separating conversion end slurry into a conversion end solids stream and a conversion brine; leaching the conversion end solids stream in a crystallization unit to produce a potassium sulfate product stream comprising potassium sulfate and a crystallizer mother liquor comprising magnesium sulfate and potassium sulfate; collecting heat generated in the conversion unit by a heat pump; and providing at least a portion of the heat collected to the crystallization unit to regulate a temperature of the potassium sulfate product stream and the crystallizer mother liquor stream contained in the crystallization unit.

Systems and methods of producing potassium sulfate can involve converting a mixed salts feed stream into a conversion end slurry in a conversion unit, the mixed salts feed comprising at least one potassium-containing salt, at least one chloride-containing salt, at least one magnesium-containing salt and at least one sulfate-containing salt and the conversion end slurry comprising schoenite; separating conversion end slurry into a conversion end solids stream and a conversion brine; leaching the conversion end solids stream in a crystallization unit to produce a potassium sulfate product stream comprising potassium sulfate and a crystallizer mother liquor comprising magnesium sulfate and potassium sulfate; collecting heat generated in the conversion unit by a heat pump; and providing at least a portion of the heat collected to the crystallization unit to regulate a temperature of the potassium sulfate product stream and the crystallizer mother liquor stream contained in the crystallization unit.