VNII Galurgy Stock Co., Saint-Petersburg, Russia:

G. V. Osipova, Leading Researcher, Candidate of Engineering Sciences, timofeev@galurgy.spb.ru
E. B. Panasyuk, Leading Engineer

The article is devoted to a reasonability justification and development of refrigeration application process when potash hot leaching production at Solikamsk Concentrator (SC) of Solikamsk-1 mine. At present time for the potash production increasing on the vacuum-crystallization unit (VCU) it is used considerable quantity of fresh Kama river water, which is necessary for the temperature reduction at the last stages of VCU and finished crystallized product (crystallizat) output increasing. An outlet mineral water is discharged into an open water body. The alternative variant for deeper cooling of recycling water and increasing of finished crystallized product (crystallizat) output is the refrigeration application for creation of which in last years there were made compact and high production refrigerating units that were successfully applied in different industries for process medium refrigeration. The waste mineralized water is discharged into open water. Alternatively, for a more thorough cooling of circulating water and for the yield increasing of the crystallizate from VCP is the use of artificial cold, for the creation of which in recent years has created a compact and highperformance cooling plants, successfully used in various industries for technological environments cooling. Cooling stations are widely used to cool the working environments in various industries. The potash industry in the former Soviet Union has the first experience of using of the ammoniacooling station in the crystallization of mirabilite from sulfate solutions (PO "Belaruskaliy"). Modern cooling plants systems are characterized by high efficiency, small overall dimensions, wide temperature range of the cooling with different refrigerants, ease of installation and operation. There are given the results of calculations of the cooling process, the recommended technological scheme and process equipment design with a list of necessary additional equipment. The implementation of proposed process will allow to increase finished product output to 1,1 mln. t/year without increasing a unit production capacity on original solution without using of Kama river water and to improve ecological production performances as a result of elimination of saline mineralized water discharge into the open water bodies.

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