Analysis of a magnesium dross valorization process

The exploration and utilization of new, clean energy sources has become increasingly important in many research fields. Coupling this increased energy demand with an overall reduction of waste could be achieved by valorization of the waste products occurring during the magnesium recycling process. The currently landfilled magnesium dross still contains metallic magnesium, which can be utilized to produce clean hydrogen while simultaneously reducing waste via a hydrolysis process. The implementation of such a process on an industrial scale demands knowledge of associated process parameters. Particularly the effect of the type of acid, its concentration and particle size of the magnesium dross are highly interesting parameters for potential future implementation in a plant. Additionally, the analysis of the dross and the hydrolysis products is of utmost importance to account for harmful impurities present in the dross and the resulting products. Hydrogen volume evolution curves for three different acids with varying concentrations were determined for a batch reactor system. A prototype of a continuous tube reactor was planned and tested to compare the hydrolysis performance to the batch reactor. The resulting metal salt and gaseous products were analyzed to determine purity and mass flow balances of selected impurities.