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Production of Crystalline Boric Acid through the Reaction of Colemanite Particles with Propionic Acid
Author(s) -
ZareNezhad Bahman
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
developments in chemical engineering and mineral processing
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1932-2143
pISSN - 0969-1855
DOI - 10.1002/apj.5500110412
Subject(s) - boric acid , particle size , particle (ecology) , chemical engineering , materials science , chemistry , nuclear chemistry , organic chemistry , oceanography , engineering , geology
A new process for boric acid production is developed. In this process the crystalline boric acid particles are directly produced in a one‐stage crystallizer through the reaction of colemanite particles with propionic acid. Each porous colemanite particle is comprised of spherical solid grains. It is found that the solid boric acid produced precipitates on the unreacted core of the grains. The maximum overall conversion of colemanite particles can be increased to 97% if the propionic acid concentration, stirrer speed, concentration, stirrer speed, colemanite mean particle size and temperature are set at 16 kmol/m 3 , 20 Hz, 462 μ and 295 K, respectively. Therefore it is possible to use this process as an alternative for boric acid production, also having a useful side product. A particle‐grain model is successfully used for process simulation.