Micelles and structural variation of the solution synergistically changing the viscosity of sodium aluminate solutions

Complicated organic behavior in the sodium aluminate solution limits the economical alumina production and improvement in alumina quality by Bayer process. Sodium gluconate (SG) or sodium stearate (SS) in sodium aluminate solution containing sodium oxalate (SO) changed the interfacial occurrence of anionic organics. The single anionic organic compounds or mixed organics initially decreased and then raised the viscosity of the sodium aluminate solution, and further increasing total organic carbon (TOC) remarkably increased the viscosity of the industrial sodium aluminate solution. Correspondingly, increasing concentration of anionic organic compound raised initially and then reduced diffusion coefficient. The minimum viscosity of the solution nearly occurred at the critical micelle concentration (CMC) of the anionic organic compound. Anionic organics also increased the viscous flow activation energy of sodium aluminate solutions. The disordered structure of sodium aluminate solution reduced the viscosity and increased the diffusion coefficient at low concentrations of organics less than CMC. Further increasing the concentration of organic compound more than CMC, micelles then contributed to the ordered structure of the sodium aluminate solution, increasing viscosity and reducing the diffusion coefficient of the sodium aluminate solution. Therefore, a large amount of micelles and the different solution structures synergistically changed the viscosity and diffusion coefficient of the sodium aluminate solution.