Bauxite grinding aids and methods of use

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019084837-A1
Application number	US-201816134072-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 18, 2018
Priority date	Sep 18, 2017
Publication date	Mar 21, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

Bauxite grinding compositions that can significantly reduce the viscosity of bauxite slurry, which allow alumina refinery plants to increase throughput of bauxite grinding or pre-desilication. Described are processes to improve the grinding of a bauxite containing slurry in a Bayer process comprising: adding an effective amount of a bauxite grinding composition to the bauxite containing slurry before or during the grinding step or pre-desilication step, wherein the bauxite grinding composition comprises dextran, maltitol or a co-polymer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A process to improve the grinding and handling of a bauxite containing slurry in a Bayer process comprising:
adding an effective amount of a bauxite grinding composition to the bauxite containing slurry before or during the pre-desilication step, wherein the bauxite grinding composition comprises dextran.

2 . The process of claim 1 wherein the bauxite containing slurry comprises gibbsite, boehmite and diaspore.

3 . The process of claim 1 wherein the bauxite grinding composition is capable of reducing the viscosity of the bauxite containing slurry by at least 10% as compared to the viscosity of a bauxite containing slurry absent the bauxite grinding composition.

4 . The process of claim 1 wherein the bauxite grinding composition is capable of reducing the viscosity of the bauxite containing slurry by at least 20% as compared to the viscosity of a bauxite containing slurry absent the bauxite grinding composition.

5 . The process of claim 1 wherein the bauxite grinding composition is capable of reducing the viscosity of the bauxite containing slurry by at least 30% as compared to the viscosity of a bauxite containing slurry absent the bauxite grinding composition.

6 . The process of claim 1 wherein the step of adding an effective amount of a bauxite grinding composition to the bauxite containing slurry occurs during the pre-desilication step.

7 . The process of claim 1 wherein the step of adding an effective amount of a bauxite grinding composition to the bauxite containing slurry occurs before or during the grinding step.

8 . The process of claim 1 wherein the effective amount is in the range of about 10 ppm to about 5000 ppm.

9 . The process of claim 1 wherein the effective amount is in the range of about 50 ppm to about 3000 ppm.

10 . The process of claim 1 wherein the effective amount is in the range of about 100 ppm to about 500 ppm.

11 . The process of claim 1 wherein the bauxite grinding composition further comprises an anionic surfactant, a non-ionic surfactant, an amphoteric surfactant, a zwitterionic surfactant or a combination thereof.

12 . An undigested aqueous mineral ore slurry comprising a mineral ore and dextran in an amount effective to lower the viscosity in grinding the mineral ore.

13 . The slurry of claim 12 wherein the aqueous mineral ore slurry is an aqueous aluminum ore slurry.

14 . A process to improve the grinding and handling of a bauxite containing slurry in a Bayer process comprising:
adding an effective amount of a bauxite grinding composition to the bauxite containing slurry before or during the pre-desilication step, wherein the bauxite grinding composition comprises maltitol.

15 . The process of claim 14 wherein the bauxite containing slurry comprises gibbsite, boehmite and diaspore.

16 . The process of claim 14 wherein the bauxite grinding composition is capable of reducing the viscosity of the bauxite containing slurry by at least 10% as compared to the viscosity of a bauxite containing slurry absent the bauxite grinding composition.

17 . The process of claim 14 wherein the bauxite grinding composition is capable of reducing the viscosity of the bauxite containing slurry by at least 20% as compared to the viscosity of a bauxite containing slurry absent the bauxite grinding composition.

18 . The process of claim 14 wherein the bauxite grinding composition is capable of reducing the viscosity of the bauxite containing slurry by at least 30% as compared to the viscosity of a bauxite containing slurry absent the bauxite grinding composition.

19 . The process of claim 14 wherein the step of adding an effective amount of a bauxite grinding composition to the bauxite containing slurry occurs before or during the grinding step.

20 . The process of claim 14 wherein the step of adding an effective amount of a bauxite grinding composition to the bauxite containing slurry occurs during the pre-desilication step.

21 . The process of claim 14 wherein the effective amount is in the range of about 10 ppm to about 5000 ppm.

22 . The process of claim 14 wherein the effective amount is in the range of about 50 ppm to about 3000 ppm.

23 . The process of claim 14 wherein the effective amount is in the range of about 100 ppm to about 500 ppm.

24 . The process of claim 14 wherein the bauxite grinding composition further comprises an anionic surfactant, a non-ionic surfactant, an amphoteric surfactant, a zwitterionic surfactant or a combination thereof.

25 . An undigested aqueous mineral ore slurry comprising a mineral ore and maltitol in an amount effective to lower the viscosity in grinding the mineral ore.

26 . The slurry of claim 25 wherein the aqueous mineral ore slurry is an aqueous aluminum ore slurry.

27 . A process to improve the grinding and handling of a bauxite containing slurry in a Bayer process comprising:
adding an effective amount of a bauxite grinding composition to the bauxite containing slurry before or during the pre-desilication step, wherein the bauxite grinding composition comprises a co-polymer comprising: a monomeric unit according to formula (I)

and
a monomeric unit according to formula (II)

wherein R 1 is no group, O, C 1 -C 10 alkyl, C 1 -C 10 aryl, or C 1 -C 10 arylalkyl;
M+ is a group I metal ion or N(R 4 ) 4 + ;
R 4 is hydrogen or an optionally substituted hydrocarbyl radical comprising from about 1 to about 20 carbons;
n is an integer from 1-300; and
m is an integer of from 1-300.

28 . The process of claim 27 wherein the bauxite containing slurry comprises gibbsite, boehmite and diaspore.

29 . The process of claim 27 wherein the bauxite grinding composition is capable of reducing the viscosity of the bauxite containing slurry by at least 10% as compared to the viscosity of a bauxite containing slurry absent the bauxite grinding composition.

30 . The process of claim 27 wherein the bauxite grinding composition is capable of reducing the viscosity of the bauxite containing slurry by at least 20% as compared to the viscosity of a bauxite containing slurry absent the bauxite grinding composition.

31 . The process of claim 27 wherein the bauxite grinding composition is capable of reducing the viscosity of the bauxite containing slurry by at least 30% as compared to the viscosity of a bauxite containing slurry absent the bauxite grinding composition.

32 . The process of claim 27 wherein the step of adding an effective amount of the bauxite grinding composition to the bauxite containing slurry occurs before or during the grinding step.

33 . The process of claim 27 wherein the step of adding an effective amount of the bauxite grinding composition to the bauxite containing slurry occurs during the pre-desilication step.

34 . The process of claim 27 wherein the effective amount is greater than about 100 ppm.

35 . The process of claim 27 wherein the effective amount is greater than about 1000 ppm.

Assignees

• Cytec Ind Inc

Inventors

• Song Airong
• Dai Qi
• Magliocco Lino
• Farinato Raymond Salvatore
• Li Xin

Classifications

• C08F222/02

  Acids; Metal salts or ammonium salts thereof {, e.g. maleic acid or itaconic acid} · CPC title

• B02C23/06

  Selection or use of additives to aid disintegrating · CPC title

• C08F228/02

  by a bond to sulfur · CPC title

• C01F7/0613 Primary

  Pretreatment of the minerals, e.g. grinding · CPC title

• C22B21/0007

  Preliminary treatment of ores or scrap or any other metal source (Bayer processes C01F) · CPC title