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Introduction
Pure chemicals and their mixtures are increasingly
applied in environmentally friendly plant growing,
especially in irrigation and hydroponic systems.
Pure magnesium nitrate, calcium nitrate and potassium nitrate represent important components used
for these purposes.
Depending on available raw materials, different
methods for production of KNO3 have been proposed. Some of them were actualized in industrial
measure. For example, KCl reacts with HNO3 at the
temperature of 75 C according to the following reaction scheme (Phosphorus and Potassium 1965):
3 KCl + 4 HNO3 = 3 KNO3 + Cl2 + NOCl + 2 H2O (1)
In the next step, NOCl is oxidized with nitric acid
at 150 C
2 NOCl + 4 HNO3 = Cl2 + 6 NO2 + 2 H2O
(2)
(3)
In this case HCl has to be removed from the reaction mixture, which is done with organic solvent
(Phosphorus and Potassium 1969).
(4)
2+
(5)
Each of these methods has advantages and disadvantages, the main problems being purity of prepared KNO3, treatment of wastes and, of course,
price of the used technology.
In this work we will discuss in detail the conversion
of KCl with Mg(NO3)2:
2 KCl + Mg(NO3)2 = 2 KNO3 + MgCl2
(6)
Acta Chimica Slovaca, Vol. 6, No. 1, 2013, pp. 1519, DOI: 10.2478/acs-2013-0003
15
Experimental
Chemicals used
As has been mentioned in the introduction, industrial raw materials were used for preparation
of KNO3. KCl (supplier: Kalij White Russia) has
following composition (wt. %):
KCl 94.6 %; MgCl2 1.2 %; NaCl 1.8 %;
CaCl2 0.4 %; sand 2 %.
Composition of magnesite (supplier SMZ Jelava,
Slovakia) is as follows (wt. %):
MgCO3 85.7 %; CaCO3 7.20 %; FeCO3 4.36;
SiO2 1.93 %; MnCO3 0.11 %; moisture 0.7 %.
Preparation of Mg(NO3)2 solution
2 kg of raw magnesium carbonate (diameter from 50
to 90 % of particles is in the range 0.0630.250 mm)
is added under mixing to 5 kg of nitric acid (60 %)
until concentration of the nitric acid drops to 24 %.
Because of reaction heat, temperature of the solution increases from ca 30 C up to ca 110 C. Rate of
addition of magnesite is determined by foam formation. Rest of the acid is neutralized by the addition
of MgO powder until pH of the solution reaches
6.67.0. This solution is diluted by distilled water
and ltered at the temperature of 5080 C.
Fig. 1. Phase diagram of the system K+, Mg2+//Cl, NO3 H2O at the temperature of 20 C
with the areas of crystallization of components (VAgT 1973).
16
Juriov J. et al., Preparation of potassium nitrate from potassium chloride and magnesium nitrate
Juriov J. et al., Preparation of potassium nitrate from potassium chloride and magnesium nitrate
17
References
Danielik V, Juriov J and Fellner P to be published in
Chemical Papers.
158g KCl
158 g KCl
158 g KCl
158 g KCl
350 g Mg(NO3)2
solution
350 g Mg(NO3)2
solution
350 g Mg(NO3)2
solution
350 g Mg(NO3)2
solution
203g of washing
solution from No.1.
208 g washing
solution from No. 2.
209 g washing
solution from No. 3
Solid impurities
1.66 g
1.13 g
2.48 g
1.92 g
144 g
169 g
167 g
167 g
0.49
0.57
0.62
0.61
Weighed-in
158 g KCl
158 g KCl
158 g KCl
148 g water
Impurities
3.18 g
0.64 g
1.72 g
133 g
157 g
159
0.22
0.23
0.20
Weighed-in
18
Juriov J. et al., Preparation of potassium nitrate from potassium chloride and magnesium nitrate
A.
B.
Juriov J. et al., Preparation of potassium nitrate from potassium chloride and magnesium nitrate
19