Characterization of hydroxyl-bearing magnesium fluoride containing physically bound water

Most electrolytic zinc plants have to deal with dissolved magnesium in their process liquors, as zinc sulphide concentrates contain small amounts of magnesium. Applied magnesium bleed methods are generally expensive and environmentally unfriendly. Recently, a new approach was suggested and discussed, which involves selective magnesium fluoride precipitation from purified zinc sulphate solutions. X-ray fluorescence measurements of these precipitates indicated that the ratio Mg:F is not 1:2 as would be expected if the precipitate was MgF2, which should be formed on a theoretical basis. It was inferred that fluoride was partly substituted by hydroxyl groups. Analytical techniques such as infrared absorption spectrometry, X-ray diffraction, and thermogravimetry were combined in order to verify this hypothesis. The precipitate indeed appeared to be a magnesium fluorohydroxide compound containing physically bound water. The results contribute to the understanding of the required operating conditions of the proposed process. (C) 2002 International Centre for Diffraction Data.