Abstract
Potassium-bearing framework aluminosilicates are earth-abundant and globally available raw materials that are potential sources of potassium or aluminium. The physical chemistry of aqueous alteration of the corresponding minerals is discussed in this work, in the framework of green chemistry and engineering.
Highlights
Inorganic fertilizers are essential for crop production, in particular to supply nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium
Aqueous alteration of potassium-bearing aluminosilicate minerals has been proposed as an alternative to both traditional K-fertilization and alumina production
This work discusses the mechanism of aqueous alteration of aluminosilicate minerals, and the chemical processes that have been proposed to date
Summary
Inorganic fertilizers are essential for crop production, in particular to supply nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Al2O3 content in bauxites varies from 30 to 60 wt% and more than 85% of its global production (89 million tons in 2010) is consumed to produce aluminium, a commodity market in constant growth.[12] The current production of alumina from bauxite is through the Bayer process, which exhibits notoriously high energy and chemical consumption, along with the generation of a large amount of waste of ecological concern (e.g., “red mud”).[13] For products such as potash and alumina the transition from a conventional to a new mineral source, in particular of lower grades, is rarely economically and ecologically acceptable using traditional extraction technologies.
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