The Effect of Dissolved Silica in Bayer Liquor Titration

To understand the differences in dissolution kinetics between alumina and silica minerals in Bayer liquor, it is essential to measure both soluble alumina and silica with accuracy. Based on irreconcilable mass balances established by liquor measurement, the impact of dissolved silica on Bayer liquor titration analytes was investigated. This paper reports the quantitative impact of dissolved silica spanning 2.0 to 4.6 gpL SiO2 on spent, intermediate and green liquor analytes, namely – free caustic, sodium aluminate and sodium carbonate. It also suggests a hypothesis to explain the impacts via silica interference with alumina and sodium carbonate titration reactions.