What are The Processing Methods and Applications of Dolomite In The Chemical Industry?
2023-08-25
Dolomite is a significant mineral resource with a broad distribution, rich reserves, excellent quality and easy access properties. With the advancement of science and technology, as well as social development, there has been a growing focus on the development and utilization of China's dolomites across various fields.
First, in the manufacture of plastic products, dolomite can be used as a filler to enhance hardness and strength while improving weather resistance and flame retardation properties. In addition, the use of appropriate amounts of dolomite powder in the production of rubber products can enhance anti-aging properties and mechanical strength. In the coating industry, the smoothness, durability and stability of dolomite make it a commonly used additive that not only improves surface finish and adhesion, but also enhances resistance to UV radiation while providing fire retardant effects. Moreover, dolomite finds a wide range of applications in the paper industry, where the addition of suitable amounts to pulp increases paper durability while enhancing print quality and writing experience.
The aforementioned industries benefit significantly from the chemical processing of dolomite, which enables its crucial role.
What is Dolomite?
The chemical composition of dolomite is CaMg(CO3)2, and its crystals belong to the trigonal carbonate minerals. The crystal structure of dolomite closely resembles that of calcite, with a rhombohedral shape and often exhibits a curved saddle-like surface. Pure white marble appears white due to its lack of impurities; however, it can sometimes exhibit shades of gray-green, gray-yellow, or pink colors with a glassy luster. Dolomite exhibits three sets of complete rhombohedral cleavage planes and is brittle in nature. It has a Mohs hardness ranging from 3.5 to 4 and a specific gravity between 2.8-2.9. When exposed to cold diluted hydrochloric acid, the mineral powder reacts slowly.
Dolomite is a carbonate mineral, consisting of iron dolomite and manganese dolomite respectively. Its crystal structure resembles that of calcite and often appears in rhombohedral form. When exposed to cold dilute hydrochloric acid, it exhibits slow bubbling. Certain types of dolomites emit an orange-red glow when subjected to cathode rays. Dolomite serves as the primary mineral component in both dolomite and dolomitic limestone. It finds applications in various fields such as building materials, ceramics, glass and refractory materials, the chemical industry, agriculture, environmental protection, energy conservation etc. It is primarily utilized as a basic refractory material and flux for blast furnace ironmaking; employed in the production of calcium magnesium phosphate fertilizer and preparation of magnesium sulfate; also used as ingredients for glass and ceramic manufacturing.
The Application of Dolomite In Chemicals
Production of Magnesium Carbonate
Magnesium carbonate is a significant form of magnesium salt, and its production requires the following chemical composition requirements (%) for dolomite: MgO > 18, CaO > 29, SiO2 < 4. There are no specific requirements for the content of K0, Na0, and acid insoluble matter. Currently, three main types of magnesium carbonate are produced: light magnesium carbonate, spherical magnesium carbonate, and transparent magnesium carbonate. The subsequent section provides details on its production and application.
Application of Light Magnesium Carbonate
In the industrial production of light magnesium carbonate, there are three main production methods due to variations in raw materials: dolomite carbonization, brine carbonation, and ammonium sulfate conversion. Dolomite carbonation is generally preferred for its wide distribution of ore, large reserves, low cost, easy production control, and superior product quality when producing light magnesium carbonate. Light magnesium carbonate serves as a fundamental inorganic chemical raw material primarily used in the manufacturing of various products such as magnesium salts, magnesium oxide, and elemental magnesium. It can also be used in the manufacture of fireproof materials and rubber products as fillers and reinforcing agents. Additionally, it finds applications in shipbuilding,boiler construction,steelmaking,the glass industry,and the medical sector among others.
Application of Spheroidal Magnesium Carbonate
Spherical magnesium carbonate, also known as light spherical magnesium carbonate, is primarily synthesized using soluble magnesium salts and carbonates as raw materials. Due to the relatively high cost of these raw materials, its production cost is correspondingly high. Considering the abundant resources of dolomite, it is feasible to produce spheroidal magnesium carbonate by utilizing dolomite as a raw material. This compound exhibits excellent fillability, dispersion, and fluidity properties that can enhance the tensile strength and wear resistance of rubber, plastic, and other products. It serves as an exceptional filler and reinforcing agent in various industries such as rubber manufacturing while also finding applications in paint formulations, coatings production, toothpaste formulation cosmetics development ,and pharmaceuticals where it acts as a filler.
Application of Transparent Magnesium Carbonate
The transparent magnesium carbonate is primarily characterized by its fine particles and uniform particle size, which classifies it as a high-quality inorganic chemical product. In addition to its use as additives in paints, coatings, and inks, it also has applications in toothpaste, medicine, and cosmetics. Its main function is to serve as a reinforcing agent for transparent or light-colored rubber products.
Magnesium Oxide Production
Magnesium oxide possesses numerous exceptional properties and finds extensive application in various industries as a filler. Firstly, in the rubber industry, it enhances the hardness and strength of rubber, improves its wear resistance and anti-aging capabilities, thereby prolonging the lifespan of rubber products. Secondly, within the enamel industry, magnesium oxide serves as a glaze additive to ensure uniformity and delicacy of glazes while enhancing the brightness and texture of ceramic products. Additionally, in the wire and cable industry, magnesium oxide is widely employed for producing flame retardant materials due to its remarkable heat insulation and fire-resistant qualities that effectively mitigate fire hazards. Apart from these aforementioned application areas, magnesium oxide plays an indispensable role in refractories by exhibiting excellent stability and corrosion resistance at high temperatures. Consequently, it is frequently chosen as a refractory material in metallurgy, construction, and other fields that necessitate withstanding extreme temperature conditions to ensure equipment safety operations.
Magnesium oxide assumes significant importance across diverse domains: not only does it enhance quality and performance while extending product lifespans for items like rubber or ceramics but also stands as an essential key material for ensuring fire safety measures are met. With advancements in science & technology alongside industrial development progressions unfolding continuously; we firmly believe that novel application scenarios will emerge further augmenting convenience levels while delivering greater benefits to humanity.
Production of Dolomite Powder
Dolomite is carefully selected, crushed, and finely ground to a 325 mesh size in order to obtain dolomite powder. This powder is then incorporated into both natural rubber and synthetic rubber, exhibiting comparable performance to that of light calcium powder. While it does not possess any reinforcing effect on rubber, it can effectively serve as a filler at a lower cost compared to light calcium powder. The utilization of dolomite for the production of universal calcium magnesium powder in rubber applications presents an innovative alternative as both a filler and colorant capable of partially or fully replacing light calcium powder and Lide powder.
By employing surface modification techniques on dolomite powder, the reinforcing properties of rubber products can be significantly enhanced. Coating the modified dolomite particles with surface modifiers such as stearic acid or stearate compounds alters the alkalinity of the dolomite surface, thereby overcoming binding issues between filler and rubber matrix while reducing shrinkage and internal stress levels. Consequently, this modification process prevents crack propagation within the material structure while simultaneously improving processing performance and product strength.
Dolomite Grinding Mill
The processing of dolomite powder is divided into two categories: fine powder processing and ultra-fine powder processing. Fine powder, which is widely used in various industries, generally meets the requirements for most applications. In this case, Clirik recommends using YGM Raymond mill as it delivers efficient and reliable performance for producing fine dolomite powder. However, there are specific instances where exceptional fineness is required for high-end dolomite powder. For such cases, Clirik's latest third-generation HGM ultrafine mill comes into play. This advanced milling equipment offers unparalleled precision and control over particle size distribution, enabling the production of ultra-fine dolomite powders that meet even the most demanding specifications.
By utilizing the HGM ultrafine mill, manufacturers can achieve a higher degree of refinement in their dolomite powders. This opens up opportunities to cater to specialized industries that require extremely fine particles or have strict quality standards. Industries such as pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, ceramics, and coatings often demand these high-end products to enhance their final formulations or improve product performance.
Compared to the conventional mill, this equipment incorporates several patented technologies, resulting in significantly improved performance indicators. As a result, there has been an increase in production of over 40% and a reduction of more than 30% in cost per unit of power consumption. The powder quality is excellent with exceptional particle shape and high powder yield. Additionally, it promotes energy saving and consumption reduction, making it the preferred exclusive equipment for numerous non-metallic mining projects. Raymond mill is a highly efficient alternative to ball mills for ore powder processing. The product offers outstanding advantages such as a robust system, high screening rate, stable transmission, high wear resistance, and easy maintenance. It finds extensive application in mining, building materials, metallurgy, chemical industries, and other fields requiring grinding processing of mineral products. Raymond mill is widely used for milling processes involving materials like barite, calcite, potassium feldspar,talc marble limestone ceramics glass with Mohs hardness not exceeding 7 and humidity below 6%, while being non-flammable or explosive.
The HGM series ultra-fine grinding machine is an efficient and low-consumption equipment for processing ultra-fine powder that has been designed by the R&D technology department of Shanghai Clirik after numerous innovations, tests, and designs. It can successfully replace traditional air mill and ball mill grinding processes as well as complex procedures for powder selection. This greatly reduces production costs while improving product fineness. The machine finds wide applications in industries such as metallurgy,mining,cement,construction,refractory materials,and ceramics for fine crushing operations.
The advantages of the HGM superfine grinding machine are environmental protection and cleanliness. The HGM series ultra-fine powder mill adopts a pulse dust collector to capture dust and a muffler to reduce noise levels, thus possessing characteristics of environmental friendliness and cleanliness. Additionally, this machine ensures high safety and reliability due to its absence of rolling bearings or screws in the grinding chamber that could be prone to vulnerability or damage. Moreover, regarding product fineness: the HGM series ultra-fine powder mill can achieve a fineness level of D97≤5μm at one time. Furthermore, the wearing parts have an extended service life since both the grinding roller and ring are made from special materials that significantly enhance their utilization degree. In comparison with wear parts found in impact crushers or turbine crushers operating under similar material fineness conditions, the service life is 2-5 times longer on average—generally exceeding one year—and when processing calcium carbonate or calcite, it can reach up to 2-5 years.
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