An Innovative Environmentally Friendly Processing Method of Promising Carnallite Ores

This paper investigated a reagent-free approach for processing carnallite raw materials from the Zhilyan deposit in Kazakhstan to produce high-quality potassium fertilizers. A new method was developed based on the principle of fractional isothermal crystallization of mineral salts according to the temperature-dependent solubility differences of potassium and sodium chloride in the KCl-NaCl-H2O system between 100 oC and 25 oC. The process analysis revealed high efficiency capable of achieving a minimum water consumption, with verification by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The proposed technique could create an inexpensive and sustainable solution with no wastes for processing carnallite ores while also supporting the domestic fertilizer industry development in Kazakhstan and Central Asia.