The study of iron chlorination from bauxite for its enrichment

The possibility of enriching bauxite by removing iron in low‐temperature chlorination by gaseous chlorine in the presence of carbon as a reducer from coke and carbon monoxide, is investigated. Thermodynamic analysis points out such a probability. The influence of the working parameters on the chlorination of iron and aluminium was studied in an experimental procedure. The results obtained are in good agreement with the values of Gibbs energies for chlorination. They show that the conditions for process occurrence can be defined with a high degree of iron chlorination from boehmite hematite type (up to 90%) and low chlorination degree of aluminium (2–8%). Kinetic analysis of experimental results indicates that the process mechanism is very complex. Based on the application of corresponding models and calculation of activation energies, it can be concluded that iron chlorination is diffusion controlled.