Publishable summary: Following the design and construction of the demonstration plant for potassium nitrate production using moving ion exchange resins (see Deliverable 5.3 – Construction of the KNO3 reactor and Deliverable 5.5 – IS solution implemented in the QSr process) and the design and construction of the pilot plant for concentrating the HCl solution (see Deliverable 5.4 – Design, engineering and construction of the HCl Concentration System), a byproduct of the potassium nitrate plant, the commissioning and development of testing and production activities for both products began. This report shows the results obtained to date from both plants. In both cases, results have met expectations, although, especially in the pilot plant, modifications are necessary to operate continuously and obtain side-products according to specification.
Regarding the demo plant, this report focuses on the start-up of the KNO3 plant, tests done with water and ion exchange resin, simulating resin and liquid movement and cycles, start-up of the plant with raw materials (HNO3 and KCl solutions) and results after more than 5000 cycles done. The results are expressed in terms of cycle stability, density profiles along the columns, raw material efficiency, product concentration, ionic leakage to different products and final composition. Water and energy consumption results are also presented in comparison with those obtained at the former potassium nitrate production plant in QSr.
For the concentration of HCl pilot plant, results of different tests are exposed together with problems found, solution of those problems during testing periods and future modifications of the pilot plant to fully get the objective of the project and proceed to the scale up to industrial plant.