Sodium Silicate Plant

Introduction

An Indian consultancy company offers to supply sodium silicate plant on turnkey basis. The conventional process of manufacturing sodium silicate is by the reaction of silica sand with soda ash at about 1,100oC forming water glass, which is crushed & dissolved in water and digested under pressure with steam.

The process offered by the company involves reaction of silica present in rice husk ash and caustic soda in an autoclave under pressure with steam. Rice husk contains appreciable quantity of silica and on burning the husk contains appreciable quantity of silica and on burning the husk for raising steam in the boiler, the ash obtained is mostly silica in highly reactive form. The solution of sodium silicate so formed on pressure digestion is filtered from the unreacted, unburnt carbon particles originally present in the ash and finally concentrated in an evaporator.

Equipment Required

The list of main equipment required for production silicated are as follows: vibrating screen (1 number), digestor (2 number), filter press- plate and frame type (1 number), evaporator (2 number), condensers (2 number), boiler (1 number), transfer pump with softener (1 number), cooling tower with ID fan (1 number), NaOH solution preparation tank (1 number), NaOH solution measuring tank (1 number), filter feed tank (1 number), bleacher feed tank (1 number), soft water storage tank (1 number), chimney for boiler (1 number), interconnecting pipelines for steam and process fluids (1 number), technological structure (1 set)

Areas of Application

In Chemical industry. It is used in soaps, detergents, adhesives silica gel, etc

Inputs Required

• Raw materials
  - Caustic soda flakes: 215 kgs/ton of sodium silicate
  - Rice husk: 1,675 kgs/ton of sodium silicate
  - Rice husk ash: 135 kgs/ton of sodium silicate
  - Chlorine gas: 3.5 kgs/ton of sodium silicate
• Water: 2.5 cubic meters per ton of sodium silicate
• Electricity: 25 HP connected load
• Manpower: 8 nos per shift

Production capacity

1,500 MT per annum based on 2 shift/day operation.

Economic Data

Cost of project (excluding land, shed & building): Rs 7 million (US $ 0.145 million approximately).

Forms of Transfer

Turnkey plant

For further information please contact

Asian & Pacific Centre for Transfer of Technology
P O Box: 4575, Qutab Institute Area
New Delhi 110016
Tel: (011) 26856276 Fax: 26856274
Email: rvijh@apctt.org