Zhengzhou Hengyang Industrial Co., Ltd
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Production of Strontianite from Celestite Ore
Strontium carbonate (SrCO3) is one of the most important strontium compounds that have been used in a variety of technological and industrial applications. It is particularly used as an additive in the fabrication of glass cathode-ray tubes for TV and computer monitors (more than 65% of total production) and as a constituent of magnetic ferrites (more than 20% of total production). Other applications are in the manufacturing of special glasses, in pyrotechnics, paints, medicine and photocatalysts such as strontium titanate and zirconate for aqueous degradation of organic pollutants and advanced ceramic materials. Although SrCO3 occurs naturally as mineral
strontianite, most of it that is available has been produced from celestite ore (SrSO4) that is the only commercially exploited strontium mineral.
There are two commercial processes to manufacture SrCO3 from celestite; the black ash and the double decomposition (direct conversion) processes. In the black ash process, SrSO4 is reduced with coke (or coal) at temperatures generally over than 1000 °C to produce water soluble SrS. The sulfide is then leached in hot water and strontium carbonate is precipitated using soda ash, ammonium bicarbonate and/or CO2 . In the second process, finely powdered celestite is reacted with hot sodium carbonate solution (>90 °C) to obtain SrCO3 and by-product sodium
sulfate by a double decomposition reaction. Although the black ash method produces a higher purity SrCO3 product, it is more energy intensive than the double decomposition process. Beside the two above commercial methods, there are several reports of the conversion of celestite to SrCO3 by other methods including the high temperature and high-pressure reaction between celestite and either sodium or potassium carbonate and direct leaching of celestite with Na2S to produce SrCO3.
