Shrinking core models applied to the sodium silicate production process

Abstract

The sodium silicate production process, with the molar ratio SiO2/Na2O = 2, for detergent zeolite 4A production, is based on quartz sand dissolving in NaOH aqueous solution, with a specific molality. It is a complex process performed at high temperature and pressure. It is of vital importance to develop adequate mathematical models, which are able to predict the dynamical response of the process parameters. A few kinetic models were developed within this study, which were adjusted and later compared to experimental results. It was assumed that SiO2 particles are smooth spheres, with uniform diameter. This diameter decreases during dissolving. The influence of particle diameter, working temperature and hydroxide ion molality on the dissolution kinetics was investigated. It was concluded that the developed models are sufficiently correct, in the engineering sense, and can be used for the dynamical prediction of process parameters.

Keywords

• sodium silicate
• mathematical model
• dissolution
• kinetics
• quartz sand