Kinetics of sulfuric acid breakdown of beryllium raw material activated by fusion with sodium carbonate

Abstract

The kinetics of sulfuric acid breakdown of a mixture of beryl and bertrandite–phenakite–fluorite concentrates, activated by fusion with sodium carbonate, was studied. The apparent activation energy of the reaction of the granulated fusion cake with sulfuric acid was determined (E_app = 9.1 kJ mol^–1). This value of E_app is typical of diffusion-controlled processes and suggests that the process is controlled by the rate of diffusion of acid molecules to the reaction surface through the layer of the forming reaction products.