Research on recovery of gallium in the alumina production process from high-alumina coal fly ash

Abstract:

Recycling coal fly ash provides the perfect opportunity to achieve the significant economic and environmental benefits because of the vast number of potential applications. A production procedure is reported for the recovery of gallium from production of alumina from high-alumina coal fly ash with predesilication and lime-soda sinter combination process. The present paper gives a comprehensive description of the whole process. The low concentration of gallium in the spent liquor, along with the high concentration of aluminum, prompted the use of chelating ion exchangers as an alternative separation process. Gallium extraction studies were carried out using chelating ion exchangers. The experimental data were simulated and analyzed by Boltzmann distribution function. The paper also deals with the pitting corrosion of carbon steel as well as the studies carried out on the glass flake mortar resistant to corrosion.

Key words:high-alumina coal fly ash, gallium, ion exchange, resistant to corrosion