Premium
Efficient and Sustainable Production of Alumina by Electrolysis of Sodium Carbonate
Author(s) -
Yu Zhanglong,
Chen Yongmei,
Niu Yinjian,
Tang Yang,
Wan Pingyu,
Lv Zijian,
Yang X. Jin
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
angewandte chemie international edition
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.831
H-Index - 550
eISSN - 1521-3773
pISSN - 1433-7851
DOI - 10.1002/anie.201104444
Subject(s) - bauxite , sodium bicarbonate , sodium carbonate , calcination , bayer process , hydrogen production , electrolysis , carbonate , sodium hydroxide , precipitation , chemistry , hydroxide , inorganic chemistry , materials science , metallurgy , pulp and paper industry , sodium , hydrogen , catalysis , electrolyte , physics , organic chemistry , electrode , meteorology , biochemistry , engineering
Efficiency doubles : The electrolysis of sodium carbonate generates concentrated caustic soda for bauxite ore digestion, sodium bicarbonate for aluminum hydroxide precipitation, and hydrogen and oxygen for the hydroxide calcination. Consequently, an efficient and sustainable production process of alumina from bauxite is proposed and the overall production efficiency is increased by 111 % as compared with the Bayer process (see picture).