Low-Temperature Wet Oxidation of Sodium Salts of Low Molecular Weight Mono- and Dicarboxylic Acids in Synthetic Bayer Liquor

Abstract

The wet oxidation of eight low molecular weight sodium salts of mono- and dicarboxylic acids that are usually present in alumina industrial liquor (Bayer liquor) has been investigated. The wet oxidation of the low molecular weight sodium salts was studied using a highly alkaline solution simulating that encountered in the alumina refining process. Wet oxidation experiments were conducted at relatively low temperature (165 °C) in a high-pressure reaction system. Two of the eight compounds studied, sodium formate and sodium malonate, underwent low-temperature wet oxidation in isolation. Sodium malonate was capable of co-oxidizing the six compounds that did not undergo wet oxidation in isolation.