Technical Note

Influence of additives on physico-chemical properties of sodium aluminate solution using seed precipitation in the bayer process

S. Zhao^1,2,*, Y. Yang¹, S. Bi¹, Y. Xie<sup>1

1</sup> Material and Metallurgy School, Northeastern University, Shenyang City,
Liaoning Province, 110004, P.R. China
² Shenyang Construction University, Shenyang City, Liaoning Province, 110168, P.R. China


Accepted 12 February 2005



ABSTRACT

Various surfactants were added into the sodium aluminate solution in order to investigate the influences on the precipitation of aluminum hydroxide. The results indicate that proper additives such as C, H₂, F, etc., can not only improve the precipitation rate, but also enhance the particle size as well as the intensity of the aluminum hydroxide products. The improvement effects of the surfactants in the Bayer process are ascribed to the modification of the physical-chemistry properties of the sodium aluminate solutions. Surface tension, viscosity and conductivity of sodium aluminate solution were studied in detail, and it seems that moderate decrease of surface tension as well as the decrease of the viscosity is in favor of the production of aluminum hydroxide with high yield, large particle size and high intensity.


Keywords: Surfactants, Sodium aluminate, Bayer process



* Corresponding author
   E-mail : zsz2@sohu.com