Modeling and Simulation for the Production Process of Soda Ash by the Ammonium Sulfate‐Soda Method

Abstract

The ammonium sulfate‐soda method is a procedure that produces soda ash and the by‐product ammonium sulfate, using mirabilite as the raw material. Here, a process for producing soda ash by the ammonium sulfate‐soda method is proposed. Based on the reaction mechanisms occurring in the Na2SO4‐NH3‐CO2‐H2O system and the kinetic‐thermodynamic data of the CO2 absorption process using aqueous NH3, the soda ash production process is modeled and simulated using Aspen Plus. The effects of various process parameters (the concentration of the raw mirabilite solution, the amounts of NH3 and CO2 flowing into the process, and the recycle ratio of CO2 exhausted from the NaHCO3 calciner, etc.) on the process performance are investigated.