Efficient Production of High-Purity Magnesium Hydroxide from Serpentinite

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Chemical Engineering
• Mineral Processing

Background:

• Producing high-purity magnesium compounds from serpentinite is challenging due to impurities.
• Effective purification of sulfate leach solutions is critical for obtaining pure magnesium hydroxide.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an efficient technology for magnesium hydroxide production from serpentinite.
• To improve the purification process of magnesium sulfate solutions using thermally activated serpentinite.

Main Methods:

• Sulfuric acid leaching of serpentinite to extract magnesium.
• Purification of the sulfate solution using thermally activated serpentinite (TA-SP) at 750 °C.
• Neutralization with TA-SP to pH 8.3 before precipitation with sodium hydroxide.

Main Results:

• Thermally activated serpentinite improved the acid-base properties and adsorption characteristics.
• The proposed method reduced process steps and equipment for sulfate solution purification.
• Achieved a magnesium hydroxide product purity of at least 99.5%.

Conclusions:

• Thermally activated serpentinite is an effective adsorbent for purifying magnesium sulfate solutions.
• The developed technology offers an efficient and streamlined process for magnesium hydroxide production from serpentinite.
• This method significantly enhances the purity of the final magnesium hydroxide product.