When extracting aluminum from the alunite ore of the Zaglik deposit by leaching, silicon, which is part of the alunite, passes into solution in the form of a silicate ion in a small amount. Silicon in solution not only degrades the quality of the produced alumina but also contributes to the clogging of pipes and equipment during its production. In this work, we investigated the dynamics of the distribution of silicon in the liquid phase upon leaching of raw alunite at room temperature and heating in an alkaline solution. A method of extracting silicon from an aluminate solution is proposed to obtain high-quality aluminum hydroxide. Desilication was carried out by recirculating the parent solution. The silicon dioxide sorption ability from the solution of the material, which was obtained as a result of acid activation of alunite mud, was investigated. It was found that alunite mud activated with sulfuric acid, in comparison with non-activated mud, has the ability to separate the silicate ion from the aluminate solution with a higher percentage of yield.

doi.org/10.32737/0005-2531-2021-4-71-76