SGL to sell recovery circuits to Qinghai company

SGL Group will sell hydrochloric-acid recovery circuits valued at 20 million euros ($24.95 million) to Qinghai Salt Lake Industry Co Ltd for the planned Qinghai Salt Lake magnesium smelting and chemical-manufacturing complex.

The two companies held a ceremony in Shanghai on Aug 22 to mark the deal for the recovery circuits, which will recycle and reuse wasted hydrochloric acid, or HCl, collected in metal smelting process. The initial delivery will be in the second half of 2013.

The remaining HCl recovery circuits will be delivered to Qinghai Salt Lake in the first half of 2014, said Yu Guoli, general manager of the magnesium smelter project of Qinghai Salt Lake.

The HCl recovery circuits are made of materials like Diabon graphite and Licuflon PTFE. SGL designed and built the systems, and designed a tailored single-pressure system.

The distillation system, which prevents crystallization of magnesium chloride, offers environmental benefits through its energy recycling system that can save about 45 percent more energy than a standard system, said Frank Wittchen, SGL’s BU process technology chairman.

Qinghai Salt Lake launched the salt-lake resource comprehensive utilization project and magnesium smelting and chemical manufacturing project in 2008. They are expected to begin operation in 2014.

Launched with an investment of more than 20 billion yuan, the salt-lake magnesium smelting and chemical manufacturing complex marks a milestone in the comprehensive development of salt-lake resources in Qinghai province, Yu said.