Abstract: The method comprises processing slime and off-gases resulting from the production of phosphorus with an aqueous solution of copper sulphate having a concentration of from 15 to 50% at a temperature within the range of from 20.degree. to 80.degree. C. As a result, two products are obtained, i.e. a liquid product and a solid one.The solid product containing mainly copper phosphide as well as fluorides and chlorides of alkali metals and silicon, and silicates of calcium and aluminum, is used as a modifying and refining agent for hypereutectic silumines and for the manufacture of a copper-phosphorus alloy.The liquid product containing phosphoric acid, sulphuric acid and copper sulphate is used as starting product for the preparation of a copper-containing fertilizer.The method according to the present invention makes it possible to modify the production of phosphorus so as to eliminate the formation of secondary wastes and improve the environmental control.

Abstract: There is provided a process for treating air-borne dust containing silicon dioxide in order to form a silicic acid or a silicate. The air-borne dust is dissolved in an alkali metal hydroxide solution to form an alkali metal silicate solution. The alkali metal silicate solution is purified by treating it with activated charcoal and/or oxidation agents. Non-decomposable substances remaining after the purification step are removed from the alkali metal silicate solution. The alkali metal silicate solution is then reacted with acids and/or salts of aluminum, magnesium and calcium. The resulting product is then filtered, washed and dried, and then comminuted to form a finely divided, amorphous, substantially pure, precipitated, silicic acid or silicate having a whiteness according to Berger at a wave length of 460 m.mu. of about 90 to about 95% and a specific surface area of about 30 to about 800 m.sup.2 /g BET.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of electrolyzing an alkali metal chloride brine in an electrolytic cell by feeding an aqueous alkali metal chloride brine containing less than 20 parts per billion dissolved alkaline earth metal ions, e.g., calcium, to the anolyte compartment of an electrolytic cell. Also disclosed is an alkali metal chloride brine containing less than 20 parts per billion of alkaline earth metal ions, e.g., calcium ion. There is also disclosed a method of purifying alkaline earth metal-containing brines, e.g., calcium-containing brines, by maintaining the brine alkaline, adding a phosphate to the alkaline brine whereby to form a calcium compound substantially insoluble in brine and thereafter separating the compound from the brine.

Abstract: Calcium fluoride is produced from pond waters resulting from phosphoric acid processing by treating the pond waters with calcium carbonate and/or calcium oxide in two stages to precipitate out the major part of the fluorine values from the waters as calcium fluoride. After removal of the calcium fluoride the filtrate is treated with calcium oxide to remove a substantial portion of the remaining fluorine values as calcium fluoride. After removal of these calcium fluoride solids, the filtrate is treated with another charge of calcium oxide to produce dicalcium phosphate (dical) which is separated from the aqueous phase. The aqueous phase is treated with an additional charge of calcium oxide to remove a substantial portion of the solids from the aqueous phase leaving waters that can be discharged as waste or recycled as process water.

Abstract: Magnesium chloride can be recovered in high yield and in high purity from brines containing both magnesium chloride and alkali metal chlorides, by adding dioxane to the brine, separating the resultant precipitate from the brine and separating the dioxane contained in the precipitate from the latter.

Abstract: Monocalcium phosphate, phosphoric acid and/or potassium phosphate containing fertilizers are produced in a process involving acidulation of phosphate rock with phophoric acid in the presence of added silicon dioxide and potassium ion whereby fluorides contained in the rock are converted to K.sub.2 SiF.sub.6, wherein monocalcium phosphate dissolved in phosphoric acid is formed during acidulation. In an important feature, the K.sub.2 SiF.sub.6 is separated and hydrolyzed to regenerate the K.sub.2 O from K.sub.2 SiF.sub.6 as recycled KH.sub.2 PO.sub.4 /H.sub.3 PO.sub.4 solution for further reaction with fluoride from fresh phosphate rock feed. A portion of the MCP/H.sub.3 PO.sub.4 solution and/or crystallized monocalcium phosphate can then be reacted with potassium sulfate, potassium bisulfate, or mixtures thereof, to form KH.sub.2 PO.sub.4, or KH.sub.2 PO.sub.4 /H.sub.3 PO.sub.4 solutions, and gypsum. In a closely related embodiment, the remaining MCP/H.sub.3 PO.sub.

Abstract: Crude sodium hexafluorosilicate containing gypsum as a principal impurity can be refined economically with a minimized loss of fluorine by first making the crude fluorosilicate in the form of an aqueous slurry react with an alkali metal compound such as sodium carbonate or sodium hydroxide to form a soluble sulfate, and then treating the solid component of the reaction product with an acid solution in the presence of sodium ion, preferably at elevated temperatures near boiling point, to form a soluble calcium salt and crystallize sodium hexafluorosilicate. Sea water may be used both as the aqueous medium for the slurry in the first step and as the source of the sodium ions in the second step.

Abstract: An aqueous sodium chloride solution for use in production of caustic soda in an electrolytic cell having a cation exchange membrane is purified by adding to said solution a chemical reagent for precipitation separation of impurities remove silica through co-precipitation with a slurry of the precipitates of impurities which are circulated through said solution.

Abstract: A process is described for highly efficient recovery of phosphate values from a wide range of phosphate rock including low grade phosphate rock material by leaching with a dilute sulfuric acid and precipitating phosphate values as dicalcium phosphate. Water savings are accomplished in the process by the use of sea water instead of fresh water.

Abstract: In the process for the production of chlorine and alkali metal hydroxide by electrolysis according to the amalgam process using calcium- and/or sulphate containing crude salt, the calcium and/or sulphate contents introduced into the brine circuit by the crude salt are removed from the brine by precipitation of the double salt Na.sub.2 SO.sub.4 . CaSO.sub.4. Small particles of glauberite may be introduced to the brine to initiate and accellerate precipitation.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for the acidulation of phosphate rock and the production of substantially pure alkali metal phosphates, calcium phosphates, and phosphoric acid which are essentially free of fluorides and recovery of the fluorine values from the starting phosphate rock in useful form. The steps of the method comprise initial acidulation of phosphate rock with a phosphoric acid solution containing sufficient alkali metal values to provide R.sub.2 O in the system, where R is alkali metal, to solubilize the phosphates and form an insoluble precipitate comprising a mixture of impurities, sand (SiO.sub.2) and the fluorides, from which the fluorides can be recovered in usable form. In preferred embodiments, after removal of the precipitate containing the fluorides, a portion of the solution of phosphoric acid and calcium phosphate is reacted with sulfuric acid and RHSO.sub.4 or R.sub.2 SO.sub.4 where R is alkali metal, to form a solution of RH.sub.2 PO.sub.

Abstract: Metal powders, metal oxide powders, and mixtures thereof of controlled particle size are provided by reacting an aqueous solution containing dissolved metal values with excess urea. Upon heating, urea reacts with water from the solution leaving a molten urea solution containing the metal values. The molten urea solution is heated to above about 180.degree. C. whereupon metal values precipitate homogeneously as a powder. The powder is reduced to metal or calcined to form oxide particles. One or more metal oxides in a mixture can be selectively reduced to produce metal particles or a mixture of metal and metal oxide particles.

Abstract: Gallium and other values are recovered from phosphorus-furnace flue-dust by treating dust with sulfuric acid to form a solution and a residue. The residue may be treated for recovery of values. Zinc is precipitated from the solution as zinc ammonium sulfate hexahydrate and an alkaline material is added to precipitate a gallium concentrate and to form a gallium-free solution, which may be treated for recovery of sulfate and phosphate values. The gallium concentrate may be upgraded by mixing concentrate with lime to precipitate calcium phosphate and by subsequently adding sodium hydroxide to redissolve coprecipitated gallium and aluminum compounds. Residual precipitate is recycled and the solution is neutralized to precipitate an upgraded concentrate. Aluminum may be removed as calcium aluminate. Upgraded concentrate may be dissolved in alkaline solution and the solution electrolyzed for deposition and recovery of gallium.

Abstract: Aqueous process streams or waste waters destined for merging with public waters sometimes contain deleterious amounts of heavy metals, e.g., lead (Pb) compounds. The heavy metal compounds may be substantially removed or reduced to harmless levels by treating the acidic aqueous streams with chromate or dichromate ions, then heating the solution to oxidize organics and/or heavy metal-organics, then raising the pH to an alkaline pH to precipitate the heavy metal chromate, and separating the heavy metal chromate from the aqueous stream.

Abstract: A process for producing a compacted calcium fluoride based synthetic flux from an aqueous effluent containing fluorine ions, by precipitating fluorine ions as calcium fluoride, reducing the water content of the precipitate to the range from about 10 percent to 30 percent by weight, mixing the precipitate with a binding agent, compacting the mixture and thereafter drying the compacted mixture.

Abstract: A process for the obtention of alumina and phosphate values by the alkaline decomposition of silica-containing aluminum phosphate ores comprises reducing the ore to a particle size of from about 6 to 13 mm; calcining the ore at a temperature of from 500.degree. to 750.degree. C in order to remove water of crystallization and combined water; grinding the calcined ore to a particle size of from 20 to 60 mesh (U. S. Sieve); treating the calcined and ground ore with an aqueous solution having a concentration of from 20 to 30% by weight caustic alkali at an initial temperature of from 65.degree. to 75.degree. C; quickly filtering the hot suspension thus obtained to remove the solid silica and heavy metal oxides; adding a 50% caustic alkali solution to the filtrate in an amount sufficient to obtain a total concentration of from 10 to 15% by weight of free caustic alkali; cooling the alkaline liquor accompanied by an elutriation action in an elutriator to a temperature of from 5.degree. to 10.degree.

Abstract: Uranium values are obtained from phosphate rock by acidifying phosphate rock containing uranium values and at least one other heavy metal with a mineral acid so as to obtain a crude acid, solvent extracting the crude acid with an organic solvent so as to separate a raffinate from a relatively pure, wet process phosphoric acid and treating said raffinate with a base so as to raise the pH to 1-2 whereby uranium hydroxide or phosphate and other heavy metal hydroxides or phosphates are coprecipitated. The uranium content of the coprecipitate after drying is at least as high as 0.3% which is comparable to that of uranium ores of the highest quality.

Abstract: A method for dehydrating magnesium chloride hydrates or brines by complexing with amine hydrochlorides is described. Magnesium chloride hydrate or brine is reacted with an amine hydrochloride to form a complex which is then heated to first drive off water and then at a more elevated temperature to decompose the anhydrous complex into anhydrous magnesium chloride and amine hydrochloride. Any magnesium oxides present in the starting material is converted to the chloride by reaction with the HCl present.

Abstract: Minute amounts of boron present in naturally occuring brines found in oceans, inland seas, salt lake and the like are removed by treating the brine with a fluoride ion.

Abstract: Hydrous magnesium silicates having a crystal structure similar to that of natural hectorite may be prepared utilising as starting material a novel intermediate which may be prepared from talc. The novel intermediate, "mesotalc" is the product obtained by heating a mixture of talc and sodium carbonate so as to modify the talc structure while controlling the heating to avoid destroying it.The "mesotalc" may be utilised in the production of hydrous magnesium silicates by forming an aqueous suspension containing the constituents of the hydrous magnesium silicate at least a part of the magnesium and silicon content being provided by "mesotalc" and hydrothermally treating the suspension until crystal growth occurs. The resulting crystalline product generally has rheological properties better than those of natural hectorite and may be used as a basis for organophilic derivatives.

Abstract: Minute amounts of boron present in naturally occuring brines found in oceans, inland seas, salt lakes and the like are removed by treating the brine with calcium oxide.

Abstract: Minute amounts of boron present in naturally occurring brines found in oceans, inland seas, salt lakes and the like are removed by treating the brine with a solid, finely divided lignite.

Abstract: Minute amounts of boron present in naturally occurring brines found in oceans, inland seas, salt lakes and the like are removed by treating the brine with an oxide of aluminum.

Abstract: Process for treating a waste water containing sulfuric acid and/or ammonium sulfate comprising (1) reacting said water with barium sulfide to form barium sulfate, (2) reacting the latter with carbon containing inorganic impurities, at high temperature, thereby forming barium sulfide, at least a major portion of which is recycled to step (1), and a gas which is separated, (3) dissolving in water a minor portion of the barium sulfide produced in step (2), separating the insoluble impurities therefrom and recycling at least one portion of the resulting purified solution to step (1).