Study of the mechanism of pre-burned ash leaching by hydrochloric acid

The use of hydrochloric acid for processing aluminum-containing raw materials has a number of advantages over other acids, which include: easy decomposition of aluminum compounds with the transfer of aluminum into solution; low solubility of silica in HCl, the possibility of complete separation of the solid residue without significant losses of acid, etc. The paper considers the possibility of using the method for processing ash and slag dumps accumulated in large volumes in the country. Based on the thermodynamic analysis of reactions of interaction between ash components and hydrochloric acid, the behavior of aluminum, iron and nonferrous metal compounds during leaching is studied. It was shown that the preliminary roasting of ash with calcium chloride provides a high extraction of aluminum in the solution from the cinder. Based on experimental studies, the influence of time, temperature and acid consumption on the degree of aluminum extraction into the solution has been established. At optimal conditions of leaching conducted at S:L = 1:3, T = 60 ºC, τ = 60 min extraction of aluminum in a solution as chloride amounted to 99.92 %. At the same time the extraction of silica in solid sediment due to the maximum transfer of impurities in the solution was 99.8 %. The mechanism of the leaching process is proposed. The values of activation energy and the order of the reaction, indicating the complex 3-step character of the reactions, have been calculated. It is established that the limiting stage during leaching is the dissolution of anorthite.