Carbonation and modeling study for process liquor in batch mode using flue gas in the mining and mineral processing industry

The mining and mineral processing industry generates significant huge amounts of flue gas containing CO2 which is a major cause of the greenhouse effect leading to global warming. This work presents the experimental feasibility study of the carbonation where process liquor is contacted with boiler flue gas as a source of carbon dioxide (CO2). It is in the context of the low-grade mineral ore benefaction process. The carbonation process results in the production of stable carbonate or bicarbonate compounds that can be used as valuable by-products or raw materials in other industrial processes. Trials were conducted for the effective carbonation of process liquor generated in the mineral processing industry, which contains caustic lye. This work presents insight into experiments conducted for the carbonation of process liquor and further reaction modeling. The results were found to encourage pursuing large-scale columns for carbonation or capture of CO2 into alkali liquor in process industries.