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2. WATER QUALITY IMPROVEMENT TECHNOLOGIES

2.1 Desalination of Minewater

Technical Description

This technology uses solutions of sodium carbonate or sodium hydroxide to precipitate salts from saline minewater. The product of the precipitation reaction is ammonia magnesium calcium phosphate, or FAMC, a polyelemental mineral fertilizer. The process may be modified by fractional precipitation of calcium from the minewater to produce a chalk fertilizer characterized by an high content of magnesium. In the fractional precipitation technique, bromide and iodine are extracted next in sequence. The treated effluent is then discharged to the crystalization chamber, where, apart from many other useful chemicals, pure sodium chloride salt, NaCl, is produced.

Extent of Use

This technology is currently being implemented on an experimental basis by KWK Jaworzno, Poland, where a pilot-scale installation will come online during 1998. The technique was developed as a result of research carried out by the Institute of Agriculture and Soil Sciences in Pu awy, Poland.

Operation and Maintenance

This technology is similar in its operation and maintenance to other chemical processes, which require engineering supervision, process control, media revitalization, and standard monitoring and repair.

Level of Involvement

This technology is intended to be implemented at the industry level.

Costs

While actual costs cannot yet be determined, the investment in the research and development of this technology has been $40 million. The estimated payback period for recovery of this investment is about 10 years, with income derived primarily from the marketing of goods produced during the purification process.

Effectiveness of the Technology

This technology is potentially very effective for removing salts from minewater.

Suitability

This technology has been designed for use by mines with large volumes of highly saline water that require treatment prior to discharge.

Advantages

The most important advantage of this method is that no waste is produced by the process. All of the products, including the desalinated water, can be marketed. In the case of KWK Jaworzno, which discharges 1 725 000 m3/year of saline effluent, marketable goods produced by this technology include 70 000 tonnes of pure sodium chloride, 16 000 tonnes of ammonia magnesium calcium phosphate, and 1 500 tonnes of calcium magnesium fertilizer. In addition, the purified water may be reused for industrial purposes. This process also benefits the environment, by producing an effluent that meets all applicable water quality standards, and the industry, by minimizing the possible fines that could be incurred for failing to meet effluent discharge standards.

Disadvantages

This technology has an high investment cost.

Cultural Acceptability

This technology provides a good solution to an old technological problem, with benefit to the community at large.

Further Development of the Technology

The technology remains experimental and will be tested by KWK Jaworzno, Katowice Voivodship, Poland.

Information Sources

Zdzislaw Kilian, KWK Jaworzno, Grunwaldzka 37, Jaworzno, Poland, Tel. (48-35) 644 02 ext. 5585.

Prof. Tadeusz Kaczmarek, Institute Inorganic Chemistry, Sowinskiego, Gliwice, Poland, Tel. (48-3) 313 051.

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