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How to control the ingredient ratio in the Pidgeon process for magnesium production?

Time：Jul 13,2020

The charge for the Pidgeon process magnesium production consists of three raw materials: calcined dolomite, ferrosilicon, and fluorite. In industrial production, the chemical compositions of these three materials often vary. The mixing ratio of the charge is closely tied to the MgO content in the calcined dolomite and the silicon content in the ferrosilicon, and it must be determined based on the following reaction:

The silicon-to-magnesium oxide ratio is set at Si/2MgO = 1. However, in production practice, the optimal ratio is typically determined by balancing two key factors: achieving a high magnesium yield while also maximizing silicon utilization. In reality, the actual silicon-to-magnesium oxide ratio used is between 1.1 and 1.2. This is because, under identical reduction conditions (such as reduction temperature, duration, pelletizing pressure, and residual pressure in the reduction system), magnesium recovery efficiency increases as the silicon-to-magnesium oxide ratio rises—while silicon utilization, conversely, tends to decline. Ultimately, though, the decision should also be guided by economic considerations, specifically by evaluating the current market price ratio between ferrosilicon and magnesium to identify the most cost-effective silicon-to-magnesium oxide ratio.

The proportion of raw materials is determined by calculating the chemical composition of ferrosilicon and fluorite against the chemical cost of calcined white, based on the reaction formula mentioned above—it’s not a fixed ratio. When the material composition changes, the mixing ratio must be adjusted accordingly.

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