Energy savings of up to 45% compared to established processes
Patented process has proven itself in practice at the largest Chinese potash producer Qinghai Salt Lake Industry Co., Ltd.
Wiesbaden, September 6, 2017. The recovery system developed by the SGL Group for recycling and reusing hydrogen chloride (HCl) is an important part of a new electrolytic smelting plant for the Chinese potash producer Qinghai Salt Lake (QSL). This plant, located in the Chinese province of Qinghai and successfully commissioned this year, produces magnesium with the lowest CO2 values in the world – supported by the SGL Group’s patented system, which consumes up to 45 percent less energy than conventional processes.
“The demand for systems that enable greater energy savings is increasing. We developed our new system on this basis, ”explains Oliver Seidel, Head of Process Technology in the Graphite Materials & Systems division of the SGL Group. “We are all the more pleased to be able to demonstrate with the commissioning of the QSL melting plant that our process works on an industrial scale.”
QSL is the largest potash producer in China and, in addition to salts, also produces magnesium, which is bound in a chemical compound in the salt of the Qinghai Salt Lake. The magnesium is dissolved from the salt with the help of hydrogen chloride (HCl) and then further processed. The part of the plant supplied by SGL Group ensures that the contaminated HCl is reprocessed and returned to the main process. The system consists of columns, heat exchangers, pumps and tanks made of the tried and tested quality materials DIABON® graphite and POLYFLURON® PTFE.