Applied Technology

Improved Pidgeon Process for Cleaner Production of Magnesium

On Mar. 11, the project “Research on a Clean Process for Production of Primary Magnesium from the Salt Lake Brine” undertaken by the Qinghai Institute of Salt Lakes passed the acceptance check. Researchers have developed a new process with proprietary intellectual property rights for producing primary magnesium using the salt lake brine (magnesium chloride) and lime, the industrial by-product. The method circumvents the huge emission of gaseous pollutants such as carbon dioxide and sulfur oxides characteristic of conventional Pidgeon process, by synthesizing its intermediate raw material calcined dolomite. Thus, clean production of primary magnesium by the improved Pidgeon process can truly be realized. Besides, the calcination temperature for the calcined dolomite has been greatly lowered and the reduction time substantially shortened. Therefore, requirements for the cycling economy and low carbon economy are satisfied. The magnesium ingots produced through the process meet the (GB/T3499-2003) Mg9995 standard or even better, in the meantime the 99.99% high and pure magnesium is also produced.