Recent Developments

New magnesia process -- A new process of straightforward character for producing magnesia from dolomite has been recently developed in Poland, and looks like being adopted
for large scale production. In the process the raw
material—a Lower Silesian dolomite—is treated with nitric acid and to the solution thus formed a suspension of roasted dolomite is added. The first stage of the process removes aluminium and iron impurities, and the second stage results in the precipitation of magnesium from the solution of calcium nitrate. On the technical scale, however, the removal of the aluminium and iron is unlikely to be carried through. The density of the magnesium is about 0'5 kg/1 and it is suitable for the manufacture of refractories. The yield of the magnesium based on magnesia content of dolomite, approaches close to 96% while the nitrogen yield in terms of Ca (NO3), is 85%. In addition
to this the CO, product of the first reaction is very pure
and might be suitable for producing dry ice.