PREPARATION OF HIGH PURITY MAGNESIUM OXIDE FROM SEA BITTERN RESIDUAL FROM NaCl PRODUCTION IN Al-BASRAH SALTERN, SOUTH IRAQ

Abstract

In this study, light and dead-burned magnesia (MgO) were prepared from the sea-bittern residual from the production of NaCl; extracted from sea water (Arabian Gulf) in Al-Basrah saltern in the south of Iraq. Dead burned magnesia of pure and dense form assaying 96.8% MgO, with a bulk density of 3.7 gm/cm3 was prepared at optimum conditions, including pre-treatment of the sea bittern of 26 Baume with calcium chloride at a ratio of 1.05:1.00 (CaCl2:MgSO4) to remove calcium sulfate, addition of precipitant (dolime) at a molar ratio of 1:1 (CaO.MgO:MgCl2), and precipitation temperature of about 70 °C for 60 minutes. The precipitated Mg(OH)2 was subjected to calcination at 1000 °C for 60 minutes, whereby a milky soft powder of light-burned (active) magnesia was produced. Dead-burned (inactive) magnesia was then obtained by burning the light-burned magnesia at 1650 °C for 60 minutes. This study provides further benefit, of producing a high purity calcium sulfate (≥ 98%) as a byproduct of the MgO production.