Cradle to Gate
Identity ID
48db8840-79fd-427e-a6e7-fe9284b178a5
Materials
Associated ID
a8885033-2f3f-4706-8a1e-24bc359ce621
Included activities starts
Included activities ends
Description
Aluminium sulfate octadecahydrate is widely used for the purification of tap water, paper sizing and as a dye mordant; Aluminium sulfate is modelled as a pure substance; when modelling this substance, the user is required to add a solvent of their choice in the model. The dataset includes the main raw and auxiliary materials, energy, atmospheric emissions and wastes of the production process, while infrastructure such as the manufacture of production equipment and plant construction is not included within the dataset boundary; the data inventory is formed by merging data from multiple sources; the production activities of this product include batching and conditioning, reaction, analysis and testing, cooling crystallization, crushing, lifting and other process steps.
Activity Description
The production activities of this product mainly include ingredients adjustment, reaction, analysis and testing, cooling and crystallization, crushing, lifting and other processes.
Process Description
The CAS number of aluminum sulfate octadecahydrate is 7784-31-8. It is a colorless to white massive or granular crystal, stable in air at room temperature, easily soluble in water and the aqueous solution is highly acidic. Its main uses are the same as ordinary commercial aluminum sulfate. It is the most common industrial form and is widely used in tap water purification, papermaking sizing and as a dye mordant.
Time period
2018
2026
Geography
China
Macroeconomic value
Business-as-Usual
Data validation
Yes
Technology
Current Technology
Technology comment
The current mainstream process for producing aluminum sulfate in China is the "sulfuric acid decomposition of aluminum sources" method. The specific technical routes are divided into two main categories depending on the aluminum source, and together they account for more than 95% of production capacity: (1) Aluminum hydroxide–sulfuric acid method: Industrial aluminum hydroxide is reacted with sulfuric acid. The reaction is mild, the product purity is high, and the aluminum oxide content is controllable. This is the preferred route for producing iron-free, high-grade aluminum sulfate (e.g., papermaking grade and drinking water treatment grade). Reaction equation: 2Al(OH)₃ + 3H₂SO₄ → Al₂(SO₄)₃ + 6H₂O. (2) Bauxite–sulfuric acid method: Low-grade bauxite (or kaolin, clay) is reacted with sulfuric acid. The raw material cost is low, but the product contains relatively high levels of iron and other impurities. It is mainly used for industrial water treatment or lower-grade applications, and waste residue is generated during the production process.