
Recycled magnesium slag
The global energy landscape is undergoing significant transformations, marked by a shift from petrochemical energy to renewable green energy and a transition from high-carbon to low-carbon fuels. The process of "hydrogenation and carbon reduction" has positioned "hydrogen energy" as a crucial element in the global energy structural adjustment. Hydrogen energy, first mentioned in the 2019 "Chinese Government Work Report," is characterized by "clean efficiency, storability, transportability, and diverse applications," drawing widespread attention.
Guangyu, involved in smelting and casting magnesium alloy materials, focuses on "reducing emissions from magnesium alloy refining slag." Their successful method involves "reacting citric acid wastewater with refining slag from magnesium smelting to produce hydrogen gas." This innovative energy production method, developed over two years of experimentation, achieves the triple goals of production, recycling, and environmental protection by combining different industrial waste.
Project Overview: Hydrogen, an efficient and clean energy carrier, is abundant, easy to store, and emits zero pollution. The global trend of "hydrogenation and carbon reduction" highlights its crucial role in energy structural adjustment, attracting attention from developed countries like China, the United States, Germany, and Japan. The challenge lies in effectively utilizing refining slag, a byproduct of metallic magnesium production. Current methods involve recovering MgCl2 and magnesium using flux refining, significantly increasing output but at a high cost.
China's metallic magnesium production, mainly through silicothermic smelting, poses environmental challenges in treating refining slag. The composition of refining slag, mainly magnesium and salts, accounts for 6%-10% of magnesium production, leading to serious environmental pollution during disposal. China's position as a leading producer of citric acid adds to environmental concerns due to the by-products and waste generated, causing water pollution if not treated.
Hydrogen Application and Goals: Fuel, hydrogenation chemicals, hydrogen fuel cells.
Large magnesium factories can reduce waste slag by 90%-95%, including reduction tank slag, pure magnesium ingot slag, and magnesium alloy slag. Solid harmless waste can be repurposed as road and land building materials. National citric acid factories can reuse waste liquid for purification and sell magnesium hydride for the chemical gas industry.
While China has a foundation in hydrogen energy, with a national production capacity exceeding 20 million tons, production relies heavily on fossil energy. Clean energy hydrogen production and utilization are relatively small, with nearly 70% from coal, natural gas, and petroleum. The storage, transportation, and industrial use of hydrogen lag behind. Compressed hydrogen gas, though relatively mature, requires further industrialization.
Economic and Initial Efficiency:
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Costs of magnesium and magnesium alloy waste slag and scraps involve various procedures, totaling about 50 RMB/ton. The comprehensive processing cost in the country exceeds 233 million RMB/year.
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Benefits of hydrogen gas, with 165,000 tons of various waste slag annually, can produce significant revenue, approximately 165 million RMB. Hydrogen gas can be stored for sale or used for local power generation, promising substantial benefits.
Government subsidies can support the project, promoting the use of hydrogen as a reducing agent in magnesium production to reduce carbon emissions and mitigate environmental pollution. The implementation of this project offers a sustainable and environmentally friendly solution.