STUDY ON MAGNESIUM REDUCTION BY A INTEGRATED PROCESS

Abstract

Nowadays, the predominant method for magnesium production relies on the Pidgeon process. While this process is structurally simple, it suffers from inefficiencies due to high energy consumption and significant greenhouse gas emissions, along with its discontinuous nature. To advance magnesium production technology, this paper proposes an integrated approach that consolidates the two stages of dolomite calcination and magnesium reduction into a single stage. The study examines the influence of pelletizing pressure and calcination temperature on the reduction efficiency of the new process. The findings indicate that while pelletizing pressure significantly impacts the reduction reaction rate, it does not affect the final reduction efficiency. The optimal calcination temperature in the integrated stage is identified as 1000°C. However, the separation and oxidation of reactants during calcination result in a reduction efficiency lower than that of the Pidgeon process, presenting a challenge that must be addressed for the successful implementation of this new integrated method.