Determination of the Optimum Conditions for Boric Acid Extraction from Ulexite in Perchloric Acid Solutions

Abstract

In this study, Taguchi method was used to determine optimum conditions for the dissolution of ulexite in perchloric acid slutions. For optimization process; solid-to-liquid ratio, reaction time, particle size and acid concentration were chosen as parameters. In the experiment, stirring speed and reaction temperature were kept as constant. The ranges of experimental parameters were between 0.1-0.2 g/cm³ for solid-toliquid ratio, 1.5-2.5 M for acid concentration, 165.0-512.5 μm for particle size and 12-36 min for reaction time. In the end of the experimental sections the optimum conditions were determined as 0.1 g/mL for solid to liquid ratio; 215 μm for particle size; 24 min for reaction time; 500 rpm for stirring speed; 30 ºC for reaction temperature and 2 mol/dm³ for acid concentration. Under these conditions, it was found that the boric acid extraction from ulexite was reached a value of 99 %.