Negev Phosphates Ltd.

Rotem Fertilizers Ltd.

Alexander Iosef

Menachem Bar-on

Dagobert Kellerman

Jacob Oren

A process for the manufacture of pure amorphous silica from rocks containing non-crystalline silica is described. The process comprises the steps of: (a) dissolution of said rock in an alkaline solution comprising sodium hydroxide and sodium carbonate, obtaining a solution of sodium silicate; (b) precipitation of pure amorphous silica by adding sodium bicarbonate into said sodium silicate and co-producing sodium carbonate, the weight ratio between SiO.sub.2 and Na.sub.2 O in said dissolution step is in the range of between 0.5 to 3.0; and (c) the sodium carbonate solution is transformed into crystalline sodium bicarbonate, by a salting out reaction with sodium chloride, being recycled to the process. According to a preferred embodiment, the alkaline solution is obtained by the caustification of sodium carbonate with calcium hydroxide. The preferred concentration of sodium hydroxide in said dissolution step is in the range of 4% to 14% by weight.

Process for the manufacture of pure amorphous silica from rocks

The present invention relates to a process for the manufacture of disodium phosphate of a high purity without utilizing organic solvents. According to the process, monosodium sulfate is reacted, at a temperature, in the range of 40 to 100 degrees C. with a phosphate constituent selected from phosphate rock, dicalcium phosphate or mixtures thereof, in the presence of phosphoric acid. The common metal impurities, organic matter and fluorides present in the starting phosphate rock are substantially complete eliminated with the solid gypsum or dicalcium phosphate resulted thereto. After separating said solid, the filtrate is treated in two neutralization stages: first by a calcium constituent selected from calcium carbonate, calcium hydroxide or mixtures thereof and separating the formed dicalcium phosphate, followed by a second neutralization with an alkali sodium constituent selected from sodium hydroxide, sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate or mixtures thereof at a pH in the range of 8.0 to 9.5. From the resulted filtrate, pure disodium phosphate is obtained by crystallization. The process is characterized by a high recovering of the P.sub.2 O.sub.5 and Na.sub.2 O values, the resulted product being substantially free of chloride ion.

Process for the manufacture of disodium phosphate

The present invention relates to an improved process for the manufacture of purified phosphoric acid from phosphate rock. According to the invention, phosphate rock is decomposed by a mineral acid selected from hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid or mixtures thereof. The dissolution liquor obtained is reacted with a calcium-containing compound such as calcium oxide, calcium carbonate, tricalcium phosphate and fines of phosphate rock producing an aqueous solution containing monocalcium phosphate in an amount corresponding to between 0.4% to 5.5% by wt CaO. After the separation of the precipitated solids, the clarified solution is extracted by an organic solvent having the property to extract the phosphate component. The phosphoric acid is subsequently recovered from the solvent extract by known methods such as washing or distillation.

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Arad, Israel

Alexander Iosef