Phase Equilibrium Calculations of Solid–Liquid Quaternary System Na2CO3-Na2SO4-H2O2-H2O at 5 °C

Red mud discharged during alumina production via the Bayer process is characterized by high contents of sodium carbonate, sodium sulfate, and other soluble salts, and it remains poorly utilized and accumulates in long-term stockpiles. Sodium percarbonate has found extensive industrial applications, and its synthesis via the salting-out method represents one of the dominant industrial routes. In this context, sodium sulfate was employed as a salting-out agent. On the basis of relevant ternary systems, the phase equilibrium of the quaternary system Na2CO3–Na2SO4–H2O2–H2O at 5 °C was systematically investigated and calculated. The objective was to utilize red mud as a waste resource and develop a novel integrated process that favored the wet synthesis of sodium percarbonate while enabling the efficient separation of sodium salts. The solubility data for the ternary subsystems constituting the above quaternary system were correlated using the Pitzer model, yielding the corresponding ion interaction parameters and activity coefficients. The validated model was then applied to predict the phase equilibrium data of the quaternary system. Verification results indicate that the calculated values are in satisfactory agreement with the experimental data. On the basis of the phase equilibrium data of the Na2CO3–Na2SO4–H2O2–H2O system at 5 °C, a phase diagram was constructed. Along with five solid-phase crystallization fields, three invariant points were identified: the co-saturation point of Na2SO4·10H2O, Na2CO3·10H2O, and Na2CO3·1.5H2O2·H2O; the co-saturation point of Na2SO4·10H2O, Na2CO3·1.5H2O2·H2O, and Na2SO4·0.5H2O2·H2O; and the co-saturation point of Na2CO3·1.5H2O2·H2O, Na2SO4·0.5H2O2·H2O, and Na2CO3·2H2O2·H2O. From phase diagram analysis, a novel wet process route for sodium percarbonate production using waste red mud is proposed. The process involves chemical reaction, crystallization, separation, and drying to obtain the final product. A new process flow diagram for the value-added production of sodium percarbonate is also presented.