Process for preparing alkali metal cyanide and alkaline earth metal cyanide granules

• Main Authors: RUDIGER SCHUTTE, HANS CHRISTIAN ALT, LUKAS VON HIPPEL, JURGEN LOROSCH, CATRIN BECKER-BALFRANZ, MANFRED SAUER, OLIVER FEUER
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 06.07.2000
• Edition: 7
• Subjects: AMMONIA; CHEMISTRY; COMPOUNDS THEREOF; CYANOGEN; INORGANIC CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY

Preparation of alkali or alkaline earth metal cyanide granules involves spraying an aqueous alkali metal hydroxide solution or an aqueous alkaline earth metal hydroxide suspension onto a fluidised product seed bed at 100-250 degrees C in a fluidised bed spray granulation reactor which is supplied with a hydrogen cyanide-containing gas in amount ≥ 1 mol HCN per metal equivalent, the introduced and formed water being evaporated by the fluidising gas supplied at 110-500 degrees C. Also claimed are sodium or potassium cyanide granules having a spherical particle shape with a smooth or raspberry-like surface structure, 0.1-20 mm particle diameter for 99 wt.% of the granules, ≥ 600 g/dm bulk density, less than 1 wt.% wear measured by the roller wear test (Erwaka TAR wear tester, 20 g sample, 60 minutes, 20 rpm.) and a clumping index of NOTGREATER 4 (measured by 14 day 10g load application onto a 100 g sample in a 5.5 cm inside diameter cylinder), the novelty being that the alkali metal carbonate content is less than 0.5 wt.% and the alkali metal formate content is less than 0.3 wt.%, the alkali metal in these by-products being the same as that in the cyanide. Preferably, the total alkali metal carbonate and alkali metal formate content is less than 0.4 wt.% and the granules are prepared by the above process using reaction gas from a BMA process and superheated steam as fluidising gas.