Baikal Institute of Nature Management Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Ulan-Ude, Russia)
Budaeva A. D., Lead Engineer, abud@binm.ru
Kovtunets E. V., Candidate of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Senior Researcher, kovtunets@binm.ru
Gulyashinov P. A., Candidate of Technical Sciences, Researcher, gulpasha@mail.ru
Khomoksonova D. P., Junior Researcher, darkhom@mail.ru
Antropova I. G., Candidate of Technical Sciences, Leading Researcher, Head of the Laboratory of Chemistry and Technology of Natural Raw Material, inan@binm.ru
The article presents the results of a study on producing kalsilite concentrate through the thermochemical benefication of synnyrite, an alumina-potassium silicate raw material from the Kalyumnoye deposit (Republic of Buryatia), using potash. Synnyrites are complex raw materials, with the main rock-forming minerals being potassium feldspar group minerals (72.0%) and kalsilite (23.7%), containing 22.4% Al2O3, 18.9% K2O, and 54.1% SiO2, according to quantitative phase analysis. Improved efficiency of the thermochemical decomposition of synnyrite was achieved by optimizing the process parameters for sintering with potash. The influence of sintering temperature, reagent consumption, and duration on the conversion of potassium feldspar group minerals into acid-soluble kalsilite minerals with the precipitation of potassium silicates was studied. Achieving sintering conditions based on the molar composition and mass ratio of the original ore to the additive, which resulted in the formation of potassium disilicate along with kalsilite, allowed us to reduce the potash dosage by almost half. Additionally, potassium carbonate was regenerated, yielding a deficient product – precipitated silica – during the carbonation of alkali-siliceous solutions. During the study, the starting synnyrite and the resulting products were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), chemical analysis, and the Rietveld method with Profex-BGMN software. It has been shown that when synnyrite is sintered with potash, the final aluminosilicate phases are minerals of the kalsilite composition – kaliophilite, megakalsilite, and kalsilite – with the general chemical formula KAlSiO4.
The study was carried out within the framework of the state assignment of the Baikal Institute of Nature Management Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences – project No. 1025031300006-7, state contract No. FWSU-2026-0011.
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