Dissolution kinetics of ulexite in acetic acid solutions

• Published in: Chemical engineering research & design Vol. 86; no. 9; pp. 1011 - 1016
• Main Authors: Ekmekyapar, Ahmet, Demirkıran, Nizamettin, Künkül, Asım
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Rugby Elsevier B.V 01.09.2008; Institution of Chemical Engineers
• Subjects: Acetic acid; Applied sciences; Chemical engineering; Dissolution kinetics; Exact sciences and technology; Heterogeneous reaction; Ulexite; Ulexite; Acetic acid; Dissolution kinetics; Heterogeneous reaction; Particle size; Production; Kinetics; Thermodynamic properties; Dissolution; Activation energy
• ISSN: 0263-8762; 1744-3563
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cherd.2008.04.005

Ulexite is an important boron mineral used for the production of boron compounds. The aims of this study are to examine the dissolution kinetics of ulexite in acetic acid solutions, and to present an alternative process to produce boric acid. In order to investigate the dissolution kinetics of ulexite in acetic acid solutions, the concentration of solution, reaction temperature, solid-to-liquid ratio, and particle size were selected as experimental parameters. It was determined that the dissolution rate of ulexite increased with increasing solution concentration and temperature and decreasing particle size and solid-to-liquid ratio. The activation energy of the process was found to be 55.8 kJ/mol.