Classifications

• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C04—CEMENTS; CONCRETE; ARTIFICIAL STONE; CERAMICS; REFRACTORIES
  • C04B—LIME, MAGNESIA; SLAG; CEMENTS; COMPOSITIONS THEREOF, e.g. MORTARS, CONCRETE OR LIKE BUILDING MATERIALS; ARTIFICIAL STONE; CERAMICS; REFRACTORIES; TREATMENT OF NATURAL STONE
  • C04B35/00—Shaped ceramic products characterised by their composition; Ceramics compositions; Processing powders of inorganic compounds preparatory to the manufacturing of ceramic products
  • C04B35/01—Shaped ceramic products characterised by their composition; Ceramics compositions; Processing powders of inorganic compounds preparatory to the manufacturing of ceramic products based on oxide ceramics
  • C04B35/03—Shaped ceramic products characterised by their composition; Ceramics compositions; Processing powders of inorganic compounds preparatory to the manufacturing of ceramic products based on oxide ceramics based on magnesium oxide, calcium oxide or oxide mixtures derived from dolomite
  • C04B35/04—Shaped ceramic products characterised by their composition; Ceramics compositions; Processing powders of inorganic compounds preparatory to the manufacturing of ceramic products based on oxide ceramics based on magnesium oxide, calcium oxide or oxide mixtures derived from dolomite based on magnesium oxide
  • C04B35/043—Refractories from grain sized mixtures
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C01—INORGANIC CHEMISTRY
  • C01F—COMPOUNDS OF THE METALS BERYLLIUM, MAGNESIUM, ALUMINIUM, CALCIUM, STRONTIUM, BARIUM, RADIUM, THORIUM, OR OF THE RARE-EARTH METALS
  • C01F5/00—Compounds of magnesium
  • C01F5/02—Magnesia
  • C01F5/06—Magnesia by thermal decomposition of magnesium compounds
  • C01F5/08—Magnesia by thermal decomposition of magnesium compounds by calcining magnesium hydroxide
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C01—INORGANIC CHEMISTRY
  • C01P—INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO STRUCTURAL AND PHYSICAL ASPECTS OF SOLID INORGANIC COMPOUNDS
  • C01P2006/00—Physical properties of inorganic compounds
  • C01P2006/10—Solid density

Definitions

• the present invention relates generally to the production of high density, dead burned magnesia (MgO). More in particular, it relates to the production of dead burned magnesia directly from an aqueous magnesium hydroxide slurry in a single burning step.
• MgO dead burned magnesia
• dead burned refractory magnesia can be prepared from an aqueous magnesium hydroxide slurry by heating the slurry to achieve decomposition of magnesium hydroxide to magnesium oxide, followed by the densification of the magnesium oxide to the refractory grain material.
• Double burning One conventional method of producing dead burned refractory magnesia is known as the "double burning" or "two-stage” process. This process involves: (1) heating (calcining) the magnesium hydroxide slurry at a temperature of from about 900°C to about 1200°C to produce a chemically reactive oxide of magnesia; (2) compacting the thus calcined magnesium in a high pressure briquetting roller; and (3) dead burning (sintering) the briquettes in a rotary or shaft kiln at a temperature of from about 1500°C to about 2000°C.
• a general description of a "double burning" process of producing dead burned refractory magnesia is described in greater detail in U. S. 3,060,000.
• the process suffers from a number of disadvantages.
• the disadvantages are: excessive dust formation during the briquetting and calcining steps; high wear of the briquetting machine due to the abrasive nature of the calcined magnesia; fragility of the magnesia briquettes which necessitates special care in handling equipment during the sintering process; and the necessity of providing two high energy burning operations, i.e., calcining and sintering.
• 3,378,615 is unsatisfactory because unless the free water content of the starting material is controlled, prior to the kneading operation, within a well defined range, the subsequent firing operation produces a large amount of undesirable dust. Moreover, the Refractories Journal article reports that when the percent solids in the magnesium hydroxide cake exceeds 75 percent by weight, the cake crumbles when kneaded and both the grading and the density of the fired cake rapidly decrease.
• this method should produce magnesia having a density at least as great as, and preferably substantially greater than, the conventional processes.
• the present invention is a method for producing in a single burning step a high density, dead burned, refractory magnesia from an aqueous slurry of magnesium hydroxide.
• the process comprises: (a) simultaneously thermally dehydrating and mechanically working the aqueous slurry with a compressive-shearing force to form coherent compacts of magnesium hydroxide containing at least about 75 percent by weight solids; and (b) sintering the compacts at a sufficient temperature to form a dead burned refractory magnesia.
• the method of the present invention is advantageous because it allows the production of dead burned refractory magnesia of high density directly from an aqueous slurry of magnesium hydroxide by the use of a single dead-burning step without the necessity of an intervening mild burning (calcining) step.
• the dead burned refractory material produced has a density at least as great as, and oftentimes substantially greater than, material produced by conventional processes.
• the present process can result in a reduction in equipment and energy cost compared to the conventional processes.
• Aqueous slurries of magnesium hydroxide treated by the present method can be derived from a number of sources.
• the slurry may be obtained by treating solutions containing magnesium ions, for example, brine, sea water, and the like, with an alkali, such as dolime, and separating the precipitate of magnesium hydroxide.
• the present method is particularly suited for use with slurries of magnesium hydroxide produced in accordance with the teachings of
• Magnesium hydroxide slurries obtained by commercial processes such as U. S. 3,080,215 generally have a water content gf from about 30 to about 60 percent by weight and a magnesium hydroxide solids content of from about 40 to about 70 percent by weight.
• This initial dewatering step involves feeding the slurry to a conventional filtering means, e.g., a vacuum type filter, to remove at least a portion of the free water content of the magnesium hydroxide.
• a conventional filtering means e.g., a vacuum type filter
• the magnesium hydroxide slurry after filtration contains about 40 to 70 percent solids, and about 30 to 60 percent free water.
• the slurry is then simultaneously at least partially thermally dehydrated and mechanically worked by the action of a compressive-shearing force.
• the dehydration and working can be conducted in any apparatus which allows both heat and work to be applied simultaneously to an aqueous slurry.
• Illustrative of such an apparatus is a steam-jacketed Readco brand sigma blade mixer.
• the dehydration is achieved by heating the magnesium hydroxide slurry to a temperature sufficient to remove at least a portion of its free water as steam.
• the aqueous slurry is dehydrated by heating the slurry in a steam-jacketed vessel in which the steam is at a temperature of from about 100°C to about 135°C, and preferably at a temperature of from about 108°C to about 132°C. It has generally been found undesirable to employ temperatures in excess of 135°C, since the magnesium hydroxide tends to form an excess amount of fine particulates which are not suitable for forming compacts.
• the rate of dehydration and the rate of application of mechanical work are controlled so that the magnesium hydroxide is formed into compacts suitable for sintering.
• the rate of dehydration is substantially the same as the rate of application of mechanical work.
• the mechanical working is in the nature of the application of a compressing and shearing force to the magnesium hydroxide slurry, preferably, by the action of mixing tools.
• the working action can be described more fully as a combination of bulk movement, smearing, stretching, folding, dividing, and recombining as the material is pulled and squeezed against blades, saddles and sidewalls. Any device which achieves this type of working action is suitablefor use in the present invention. Such devices, are described in greater detail in the Chemical Engineers Handbook, Perry and Chilton, Fifth Edition, pages 19-14 to 19-16, which publication is incorporated herein by reference.
• the slurry is dehydrated and worked until the magnesium hydroxide solids are formed into coherent compacts containing at least about 75 percent by weight magnesium hydroxide solids and, preferably, from about 75 to about 85 percent by weight magnesium hydroxide slurry. More preferably, the slurry is dehydrated and worked until the magnesium hydroxide solids are formed into coherent compacts containing from about 79 to about 83 percent by weight magnesium hydroxide solids.
• the compacts formed are hard, dense, substantially spherical pellets. About 95 percent of the pellets have an average particle size greater than about 16 mesh (Tyler Series) and less than about 3/8 inch.
• the compacts thus formed are subjected to a standard burning (sintering) operation in which the compacts are heated to a temperature of from about 1500 °C to about 1900°C to form a dead burned refractory grain material.
• sintering of magnesium hydroxide is well known in the art, and any conventionally sintering apparatus can be employed.
• the dehydrated compacts are sufficiently dried before exposure to the sintering temperature to minimize fracturing (including the formation of pinholes) which could occur if the water remaining in the compact was rapidly vaporized.
• substantially all of the moisture in the compacts is removed prior to exposure to the sintering temperature to substantially entirely eliminate fracturing caused by almost explosive-like vaporization of water in compacts which are suddenly heated to about the sintering temperature.
• drying can be conveniently carried out by, for example, use of a separate low temperature drying step, such as up to about 150°C, or by gradually heating the compacts to the sintering temperature at a rate sufficient to avoid fracturing of the compacts by thermal shock and rapidvaporization of the water.
• the resulting dead burned refractory magnesia generally has a bulk density of at least about 97 percent of its theoretical bulk density.
• binders can include, for example, methylcellulose, hydroxyethylmethyl cellulose, starch, silicates, and the like.
• Example 1 A magnesium chloride-containing brine was treated with a slaked dolomitic slurry to form a precipitate of magnesium hydroxide in suspension.
• the magnesium hydroxide slurry was filtered in a Moore filter and recovered as a washed filter cake containing about 50 percent by weight magnesium hydroxide.
• the filter cake was washed with water to remove entrained mother liquor and thereafter reslurried with water to make a pumpable slurry.
• the slurry was concentrated by vacuum filtration to a filter cake containing about 57.3 percent by weight magnesium hydroxide and about 42.7 percent by weight water.
• a 5236 gram sample of the magnesium hydroxide filter cake was "creamed” or “repulped” for about ten minutes by an agitating tank to homogenize or break up the filter cake and agglomerate therein to a uniform slurry consistency.
• the resulting slurry was introduced into the interior of steam-jacket, Readco brand sigma blade mixer manufactured by Read Machinery Company, Inc., York, Pennsylvania.
• the blades of the mixer were operated at a constant speed of about 44 revolutions per minute, while about ten pounds per square inch gauge (psig) steam pressure was maintained in the steam-jacket to provide a temperature within the mixer of about 117°C.
• the magnesium hydroxide slurry was retained within the mixer for approximately 70 minutes. During that time, the magnesium hydroxide agglomerated into compact, rounded pellets. Approximately 94 percent of which had an average particle size greater than about 16 mesh and less than 3/8 inch. The pellets were taken from the mixer at about 10 minute intervals during the 70 minute retention time. The samples were analyzed for magnesium hydroxide content, and then sintered to magnesia. The percent magnesium hydroxide solids within the mixer and density of the- sintered magnesia as functions of time are shown in the Table.
• the pellets were dried overnight (about 12 to
• the dried magnesium hydroxide compacts were sintered by firing in a conventional furnace for about one hour at about 1700°C. Heating to the 1700°C sintering temperature was carried out by heating the pellets from room temperature to 500°C in one hour, from 500° to 800°C in two hours, from 800°C to 1000°C in 1/2 hour and at a rate of 350°C an hour to 1700°C.
• the bulk density of the sintered material was determined by the standard method of testing for bulk density and porosity of granular refractory materials by mercury displacement (American Society for Testing Material: Designation (493-70).
• the sintered magnesia was chemically analyzed and found to contain about 97.3 percent by weight magnesium oxide, and lesser amounts of the oxides of silicon, iron, aluminum, calcium, and boron.
• the compacts had a density after sintering for one hour of 3.515 g/cc.
• Example 1 To demonstrate the degree of densification achieved by the present method, a portion of the magnesium hydroxide slurry of Example 1 was also converted to dead burned magnesia by conventional two-stage firing technique.
• the magnesium hydroxide slurry was calcined at about 900°C, and then pressed into 1-1/8 inch diameter briquettes. The briquettes were sintered for about 1 hour at about 1700°C.
• the resulting dead burned magnesia had a bulk density of about 3.45 g/cc.
• Example 2 A different magnesium hydroxide slurry was treated substantially as described in Example 1.
• the sintered magnesia was chemically analyzed and found to contain about 98.6 percent by weight MgO, and lesser amounts of the oxides of silicon, iron, aluminum, calcium, and boron.
• the boron levels of the magnesia was from about 5 to about 10 times greater than that found in the material of Example 1.
• the compacts had an average density of 3.35 g/cc after sintering for one hour.

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• 1980
  • 1980-12-29 BR BR8009125A patent/BR8009125A/pt unknown
  • 1980-12-29 WO PCT/US1980/001742 patent/WO1982002190A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 1980-12-29 JP JP56500402A patent/JPS57502054A/ja active Pending
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