Figure 3.3 Bayer process flowchart Settling may be assisted by the addition of a flocculant. Starch was used initially as the flocculant, but more recently water dispersible copolymers of acrylates, polyacrylamide and an anionic polyacrylamide in which some of the amide groups are replaced by carboxyl groups have been used", No LCA data are available for such materials at present and while it would be desirable to include their use in the compilation of the inventory these flocculants are believed to be used in small concentrations and will not, therefore, have a major influence on the final results, The red mud slurry, or filter cake from filtration, is stored in lagoons, The sodium aluminate solution undergoes a final filtration to remove the last traces of insoluble mud before precipitation of the aluminium trihydrate from the solution by adding previously precipitated seed crystals and agitating the mixture, The seed grows to crystal agglomerates which are easy to separate and wash, yielding hydrated alumina suitable for use in the production of zeolites. The return solution, containing caustic soda and a large amount of water is heated and the water evaporated, leaving this caustic soda available for re-use. Table 3.3 shows input and output data from a number of sources for the Bayer process. Again there is Part 2: Inventory Section 3: Zeolite A production 21considerable variation in the figures which might reflect the variations in composition of the bauxite ore. The data for caustic soda, however, seem to break into two distinct groups, one around 0.05 kg the other around 0.25 kg. This can possibly be explained by the degree to which the caustic soda is reclaimed from the waste stream. The higher set of figures may represent the gross input, the lower set ‘Table 3.3 Inputs and outputs for the Bayer Process according to various sources" SCP TTASA = BER Anon” Ring” =e Ba Toputs Bauxite tka} 3.81 3.38 2 2 232 2.2 192 caustic soda (kg) 22574 07 2 vA Line eg) 46 05 ee) 0 * : Starch beg) 8 on ’ * + : + Process water (kg) yas " * ‘ * : Electricity (M4!) ea * 4.26 1,03 Fual oil Ql 9978 8 487 “a9 Outputs Red mud (ee) 495 1.328 . * . 2 . BoD (kg) .00079 0063 . . . a , ‘cop eg] 975 . * * 3 * Particulates (kg) 0985002 . . + . . Waste water (ka) + 95 . . . . + the net input with reuse taken into account. The lower set taking account of reuse have been used for subsequent calculations. The above data, though, since they are presented in connection with the production of aluminium, refer to alumina, rather than to hydrated alumina, and therefore include the calcination stage of the Bayer process. Zeolite manufacture does not require this stage, so an adjustment needs to be made. A kilogram of alumina requires the calcination and therefore production of 1.53 kilograms of hydrated alumina, and in effect the above figures are equivalent to the production of 1.53 kg of hydrated alumina and the weights need to be reduced accordingly. This adjustment does not, however, apply to the energy inputs: it is necessary to subtract the energy requirements of the calcination stage, taken as 2.4 MB of fuel oil and 0.12 MJ of electricity. A further problem is the source of the liquid part of the red mud slurry. As the data stand there is a material imbalance of around 0.5 kg. It is assumed that the source of this imbalance lies in the process water and an adjustment is made accordingly. Life Cycle Assessment of domestic laundry detergent buildersTable 3.4 summarises the values in table 3.3, and gives the values used for this study, which are shown diagrammatically in Figure 3.4. Table 3.4 Summary of inputs and outputs for Bayer process 2 Min Inputs Bauxite (kg) 7 1.92 Caustic soda (kg) 7 oa Lime (kg) 4 033 starch (kg) a Process water (kg) 2 3.6 Blectricity (MJ) 6 84 Fuel oil (ug) 6 7.3 outputs Hyd. alumina (kg) 2 Red mud (key 3 “8 BoD (kg) 2.00042, cop (kg) 2 15 Particulates (kg) 2 ois Waste water (kg) 2 3.6 value Max Median used 3.38 2.208 2.37 225 2 he 225 05 -05 :01 2.5 6.55 6.6 2.2 1.28 1.25 «29 a3 8.9 1.53 1.75 1.33 48 00034 00055 0005 -19 “aT 47 098 +05 +05 o.5 6.55 6.14 Figure 3.4 Inputs and outputs for the Bayer process excluding calcination Caustic soda 0.07 kg Lime 0.03 kg Blectricity 1.2 MJ Scarch 0.02 kg Fuel oil 5.5 MI | Process water 4.31 kg | | poy oy | Bauxite 1.85 kg Hydrated alumina 1 kg BAYER | . process E[ | i y Y | Particulates 0.03 kg Red md 0.85 kg Waste water 4.01 kg BOD 0.0003 kg cop 0.11 kg Part 2: Inventory Section 3: Zeolite A production3.2 Zeolite A production ‘The process flowchart for crystallising zeolite A and drying it to a powder according to a patent!” which is believed to be representative of a process commonly used is shown in Figure 3.5. The figures show example 2 on page 6 of that patent. An aqueous sodium silicate solution is heated in a reactor to a temperature of between 30 and 80°C and a sodium aluminate solution, pre-heated to between 30 and 100°C, stirred in until the cloud point of the reaction mixture is reached within Figure 3.5 Process flowchart for producing zeolite A crystals Ho 25.00 x9 water glass Mazo “2.68 rg >| production 515, #159 ¥8 — s90¢ Diluted soatun x funinate soln, ee Zooliso 0 25.80 ke >| production Nhe 278 kg gore stage 1 Bade ms #0 118.95 kg sion 13.41 kg a ¥ sodium Aluninate soln. Zeolite = >| production Ho 77.49 ka 70°C ‘stage 1 78,0 13-91 kg ve a9, 7:30 ke x Seed crystals | Crystal isation| >fz ere ‘ite A prodiced| Manufaccured according to |~ 9-53 ko BE:Ps 2660-723) T y Filtration, i prying ¥ ren 1a a, {A104}, (850, ,.271,0 a period of 10 to 60 minutes. A stronger solution of sodium aluminate at a temperature between 10 and 100°C is stirred into the clouded mixture. The synthesis mixture thus obtained crystallises at a temperature of between 20 and 175°C within 15 minutes. The crystals are then filtered out and dried to produce a zeolite A powder with 50% of the particles by weight being below 4 pm in size. Excess water in the waste stream is evaporated off and the recovered caustic soda returned for re- 24 Life Cycle Assessment of domestic laundry detergent buildersuse. The overall materials and energy balance for the process is shown in Figure 3.6.6 Figure 3.6 Inputs and outputs for the production of zeolite A powder Blecericity 0.54 wy process heat 4.94 Md | | Process water 4.76 ks | Seed 0.02 kg v neon ots zeonrre ues AL(oH); 0.3 kp] PONDER seodite » —* fonder 2 ke | sio, 0.35 ky ——p| PRODUCTION v Wagee waver 4.90. kg Meow G02. ke Alton, 0.045 kg slo, 0.035 kg — —_! Zeolite A can also be provided in the form of a slurry. This is economically preferable if delivery distances are below a critical point, otherwise the user is paying more for the transport of water than for the removal of that water at source. For the UK market zeolite produced in Germany exceeds the critical distance, and therefore is delivered as a powder. Should production start in the UK then slurry might be the more advantageous product. In order to prevent sedimentation of the slurry a stabiliser such as an ethoxylated alcohol is used. Inputs and outputs for the production of zeolite slurry are shown in figure 3.7. Figure 3.7 Inputs and outputs for the production of zeolite A slurry i Electricity 0.36 wy Process hoat 4.2 MT Process water 2.64 kg (— seed 0.01 kg NaoH 0.21 kg ZEOLITE AL(OH), 0.20 ka —4 SLURRY p Zeolite » PRODUCTION Starry 3 kg sio, 018 kg | | v | Waste water 2.27 | See we we, LS me Part 2: Inventory Section 3: Zeolite A production 25