Utilization of wastewater from zeolite production in synthesis of flotation reagents

The application of waste alkali liquids as a substitute of sodium hydroxide for the saponification to improve the collection performance of fatty acids was investigated by saponification reaction test and flotation test. The results of the saponification reaction test indicated that the optimal conditions for the saponification were stirring rate of 55 r/min, initial temperature of 40 degrees C and stirring time of 45 min. Meanwhile, the laboratory scale and industrial scale flotation experiments showed that the fatty acid salt synthesized by wastewater achieved an index comparable to fatty acid sodium synthesized by sodium hydroxide. As a consequence, it was feasible to replace sodium hydroxide with the wastewater from zeolite production for fatty acid saponification. The cross-border utilization of waste alkali liquids not only reduced environmental pollution, but also produced excellent economic benefits.