Utilization of Sulphate Content of Gypsum in the Extraction of Aluminum and

Magnesium from the Silicate minerals with the Production of Potassium Sulphate as
a Coproduct
By
V. ARAVAMUTHAN1
Retired Deputy Director
Central Electrochemical Research Institute (CECRI), Karaikudi, India

All rights reserved

Published by:
M/s Catalyst Management Services Private Limited, India (http://www.cms.org.in)
March 2016

ISBN No: 986-81-908417-8-8

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source citation is given and reproduction is not for commercial purposes. The views and ideas expressed
in this article are solely of the author and the publication agency is not responsible for the same.

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The author Mr. V. Aravamuthan, aged 96, has been contributing articles for the advancement of Science and Technology for over seven
decades (since 8 March 1943). Mr. Aravamuthan can be contacted at the following address - Flat No 7, II Floor, AKM Nest, Jawaharlal
Nehru Street, T. Nagar, Chennai- 600 017, India. E Mail: sampuviji@gmail.com; Phone No: +91 44- 28140082.

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In this article, an idea for effective utilisation of sulphate content of gypsum in the extraction of
Aluminum and Magnesieum from the silicate minerals with the production of Potassium sulphate as a
coproduct is given. Attempt has been made to provide these ideas in simple manner. The author, at his
age of ninety six, is interested only to see that the said views reach many in different walks of life and
put in to action as appropriate.
The Idea
The most abundant low cost mineral containing Sulphate is gypsum. The most abundant low cost
minerals containing Aluminum and Magnesium are their silicates.
Without producing Sulphuric acid from gypsum, if KHSO4 is obtained from it, then it is possible to
extract maximum amounts of Sulphates of Aluminum and Magnesium from their silicate ores
economically by utilizing KHSO4 as a better and low cost substitute for concentrated H2so4 at high
temperatures with the recovery of K2SO4 as a valuable co product.
Solid KHSO4 is obtained in a cyclic process from gypsum by the following procedure. The production
of (NH4)2 SO4 from Gypsum is a well-established commercial process.
Solid (NH4)2SO4 is heated with calculated amounts of solid K2So4 recovered in the later stage of the
procedure out of contact with air at suitable temperature conditions to get KHSO 4 with the maximum
recovery of ammonic gas. This ammonic gas together with ammonia and carbon dioxide is employed to
get (NH4)2So4 solution. The solution is filtered from the impure CaCO3 precipitate and evaporated to get
the solid.
The KHSO4 is heated with calculated amounts of powdered Aluminium or Magnesium silicate at about
800 degree C out of contact with air for 1to 2 hours cooled, leached with water and filtered to get a
mixture of
1) K2SO4 and Mgso4 from magnesium silicate mineral and
2) K2sO4 and aluminium sulphate from Aluminosilicate mineral.
On double composition with Kcl, K2sO4 is precipitated out leaving behind aluminum chloride and
magnesium chloride solution on filtration. Only a required portion of K2SO4 is used to cyclic process. If
potassium aluminum silicate is used as a raw material, additional K2SO4 is obtained as a manufactured
product. For the same weight of potassium, K2so4 fetches double the price of potassium chloride.
The utilization of 1) Aluminium chloride solution for recovering aluminum metal and 2) magnesium
chloride solution for obtaining magnesium metal follows.
Pure Aluminum chloride solution is obtained after reducing any ferric iron in solution by passing Hcl
gas to get Alcl3 6 H2O. The Alcl3 solution is converted into sodium cryolite in a cyclic process with
depleted electrolyte rich in Sodium fluride, Sodium cryolite is precipitated out and then, mixed with
make up Sodium Fluoride and potassium chlorides and electrolysed at 800-850 degree C with
Aluminum as cathode and graphite as anode in a simple non-diaphragm cell capable of taking very high
current densities to get aluminum at cathode and chlorine as anode.

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Pure AlCl3 solution can also be thermally decomposed out of contact with air to get pure Al2O3 with the
expulsion of HCl gas.
The pure MgCl2 solution after removing any sulphate as calcium chloride solution is evaporated to get
35% MgCl2 solution. In a cyclic process, the depleted electrolyte is mixed with 35% Mgcl2 solution and
make up Kcl and heated in a current of HCl gas to get anhydrous Kcl. Mgcl 2 suitable for electrolytes in a
simple non-diaphram cell capable of taking high current densities at about 800 degree centigrade with
molten lead cathode in a cyclic process and graphite as anode. The lead magnesium alloy is then heated
at very high temperatures out of contact with air to expel pure magnesium metal vapours leaving behind
molten lead for use again in the cyclic process.
The chlorine evolved at the anode is reacted with methane gas to get methyl chloride, which, by a
catalytic reaction is converted into liquid fuels. The hydrochloric acid gas from both the steps is utilized
to react with sea water effluent from the sea water distillation units operating by taking advantage of
the fact at maximum evaporation of sea water takes place at 85 and at 0.83 atmosphere and by slightly
increasing the pressure to 0.87 atmospheres maximum condensation takes place.
The pure Nacl precipitate is separated from the acid filtrate by employing a plastic lined centrifuge. The
acid filtrate is neutralized with ammonia gas to get irrigation water containing ammonium chloride and
all the dissolved K, Ca, Mg, SO4 and also the micronutrients in sea water. This procedure can also be
used to utilize the Cl2CO product in Al metal production.

The author can be contacted at the following address:

Flat No 7, II Floor, AKM Nest, Jawaharlal Nehru Street, T. Nagar, Chennai- 600 017, India
E Mail: sampuviji@gmail.com; Phone No: +91 44- 28140082

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