Ore Processing with Concentrated Magnesium Chloride Brines. Final Report

摘要

Understanding was gained of mutual solubility relationships in magnesium chloride - hydrogen chloride aqueous solutions (brines). With rising temperature, dominance shifts from the increasingly volatile HCl solute to the MgCl2, or similar, nonvolatile chloride constituent and leads to low HCl solubility at 1 atm total brine vapor pressure. Advantages and limitations to the use of MgCl2 brines in hydrochloric acid treatment of important leach-resistant oxide ores were delineated for chromite (ideal formula FeO.Cr203) and ilmenite (ideal formula FeO.TiO2). Ilmenite proved more amenable to pressure leaching in MgCl2-HCl brines than chromite.