Microwave-assisted thermal treatments for producing Nanoparticle pigment

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

Pigment production has thermal treatment stages that can substituted by microwave radiation such asdewatering, preheating and calcination. In dewatering of Nanoparticle slurry, performances of both filtrationand thickening are affected negatively. Nanoparticles reduce performance or block porous space inside filtercloth. Therefore, filtration should be done as a batch process with low performance. Also, nanoparticles causeserious problems for thickening operation including slow particle settling, increase in residence time, andbigger flocculant consumption. For a pigment slurry, low power microwave treatment can be used as asubstitute for filtration, and work with or without thickener. Microwave application for calcination is morecomplicated compared to dewatering, because it is expected to generate higher temperatures as well as improvephysical phase transformation. This research work will focus on microwave-assisted dewatering andcalcination. Argex Titanium Incorporated, is developing a novel technology for producing titanium oxidepigment. Preheating, dewatering and calcination stages are part of the production line. Therefore,microwave-assisted heating can be used for these preheating and dewatering and calcination. Developing thisnovel microwave-assisted thermal treatment technique will lead to less energy consumption, better control onthe process and higher process efficiency for Canadian pigment industry the advantages of which will increasethe profitability of the pigment plant.