SODA ASH PRODUCTION FROM TRONA IN A SPRAY DRYER

Production of soda ash from Trona solution was achieved in a spray dry er reactor. Fractional conversion of NaHCO3 reached to values close to unity in this unit within a residence time of less than a second. Res ults indicated that above 140 degrees C, heat transfer limitations pla yed a significant role on the calcination process taking place in the spray dryer. Equilibrium limitations may become important only at very low temperatures and at high CO2 and H2O partial pressures. Results o btained in the spray dryer and from the thermal gravimetric analysis o f Trona crystals agreed well. It was also shown that the predictions o f the unreacted core model are in good agreement with the kinetic data .