Alum process

Chrome Alum Electrolysis. In the chrome alum process (Fig. 2) typified by the 2000 tons per year Flkem Metals Co. plant at Marietta,... 

Fig. 2. Flow sheet for production of electrolytic chromium by the chrome alum process at the Marietta Plant, Flkem Metals Co., Marietta, Ohio.

Fig. 3. Principal electrolytic ceU reactions and electrolyte concentrations in chromium production by the chrome alum process.

Fig. 4. Synthesis of the alumina abrasives using the alum process. (Courtesy of Baikowski International Corp., Charlotte, NC.)...

It has been suggested that vegetable tanning developed from a desire to colour oil or alum-processed skins. Interestingly the earliest surviving recipes for the preparation of leather, dating from Babylonian times about 3000 years ago, show that a combination of these three processes were employed ... 

The slurry is pumped iato another stock chest, where wax ia emulsion form, usually about 0.5—1.0% wax-to-fiber weight, and 1—3% PF resia are added. PF resia is also added on the basis of resia soHds-to-dry fiber. Thea a small amouat of alum is added, which changes the pH (acidity) of the slurry, causiag the resia to precipitate from solutioa and deposit on the fibers. Resia is required ia greater quantity than ia the Masonite process because only light bonding occurs between fibers prepared ia a refiner. The fiber slurry is thea pumped to the headbox of a Fourdrioier mat former, and from this poiat the process is similar to the Masonite process. 

This process is currentiy used by Vista Chemical, successor to Continental Oil Company s chemical business, and by Condea. In the Ethyl Corporation process dilute sulfuric acid is used in place of water in the hydrolysis step producing alum rather than alumina. 

Sodium alumiaate is used ia the treatment of iadustrial and municipal water suppHes and the use of sodium alumiaate is approved ia the clarification of drinking water. The FDA approves the use of sodium alumiaate ia steam generation systems where the steam contacts food. One early use of sodium alumiaate was ia lime softening processes, where it iacreases the precipitation of ions contributing to hardness and improves suspended soHds removal from the treated water (17). Sodium alumiaate reacts with siHca to leave very low residual concentrations of siHca ia hot process water softeners. Sodium alumiaate is often used with other chemicals such as alum, ferric salts, clays, and polyelectrolytes, as a coagulant aid (18,19). 

The large majority of activated alumina products are derived from activation of aluminum hydroxide, rehydrated alumina, or pseudoboehmite gel. Other commerical methods to produce specialty activated aluminas are roasting of aluminum chloride [7446-70-0], AIQ calcination of precursors such as ammonium alum [7784-25-0], AlH2NOgS2. Processing is tailored to optimize one or more of the product properties such as surface area, purity, pore size distribution, particle size, shape, or strength. 

The pulp and paper industry and potable and wastewater treatment industry are the principal markets for aluminum sulfate. Over half of the U.S. aluminum sulfate produced is employed by the pulp and paper industry. About 37% is used to precipitate and fix rosin size on paper fibers, set dyes, and control slurry pH. Another 16% is utilized to clarify process waters. The alum sold for these purposes is usually Hquid alum. It is frequendy acidic as a result of a slight excess of H2SO4. Aluminum sulfate consumption by the pulp and paper industry is projected to remain constant or decline slightly in the near term because of more efficient use of the alum and an increased use of alkaline sizing processes (13). 

Aluminum sulfate [7784-31-8] solutions can also be used for all or part of the PAG Al source. In one process, a mixture of alum and aluminum chloride is neutralized using calcium carbonate, and soHd calcium sulfate [7778-18-9] is removed by filtration (22). In another process alum is mixed with calcium chloride and calcium hydroxide (23) ... 

Papermaking Use. PAG is widely used in Europe in papermaking processes. The gradual changeover from acid to alkaline systems in U.S. paper mills is expected to be accompanied by an increase in the use of PAG as an alum replacement (35). 

Inorganic chemicals may also be used. Beatonite may be used as a flocculant ia combination with polymer treatmeat. Alum, oace a common coagulant, is less used because its concentration can build up ia recycle water. Alum oftea biads ink to fibers and iacreases the difficulty of deinking. Removal of the very small flexographic ink particles ia process water is difficult. Ultrafiltratioa (qv) has beea proposed for removing these very small dispersed ink particles (53). 

Sodium thiosulfate is still used in chrome leather tanning as a reducing agent in two-bath processes to reduce dichromate (hexavalent chromium) to chrome alum (trivalent chromium) (see Leather). 

Chemica.1 Remova.1. Phosphoms can be precipitated with lime to form Ca2(P0 2- The actual composition of the precipitate is a complex compound called apitate. Achieving minimum phosphoms concentrations requires a pH in excess of 10.5. Alum or iron will precipitate phosphoms as AIPO4 or FePO. This procedure is generally employed in conjunction with the activated sludge process, in which the coagulant is added at the end of the aeration basin or between the aeration basin and the final clarifier. 

Chemical Processing. Activated carbon consumption in a variety of chemical processing appHcations is about 8% of the total (74). The activated carbon removes impurities to achieve high quaHty. For example, organic contaminants are removed from solution in the production of alum, soda ash, and potassium hydroxide (82). Other apphcations include the manufacture of dyestuffs, glycols, amines, organic acids, urea, hydrochloric acid, and phosphoric acid (83). 

In one process developed by Cams Corp., Illinois, poUucite is digested with sulfuric acid to cesium alum that is dissolved in an aqueous hydroxide solution to form cesium alum hydroxide and potassium sulfate, from which cesium permanganate is direcdy precipitated by addition of potassium permanganate (28). 

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