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Discuss formation,Extraction and Processing of trona in Lake Magadi.

Discuss formation,Extraction and Processing of trona in Lake Magadi.

Answers

Martin
Occurrence

-Trona deposits occur as a solution of sodium salts the main ones being sodium sequicarbonate and sodium chloride.

Mode of Formation

- Rain water dissolves soda salts in volcanic rocks.
- The solution percolates through the rocks and soil and gets beneath the basin.
- The accumulated solution is heated by the hot rocks beneath.
- Pressure builds up and the heated solution is pushed to the surface.

- It comes out of the ground inform of hot springs below or on the sides of the lake.
- Due to high temperature water evaporates leaving behind crystals of trona.

Extraction and Processing

- A dredger scoops trona out of the lake.
- It crushes it into smaller pieces and separates it from rock debris.
- The material is mixed with water to form slurry and transported to factory on the lake’s shore.
- In the factory the slurry is mixed with water to wash out impurities such as mud and salt and dried.
- It is sent to desiccators and heated to remove moisture and hydrogen to form soda ash.
- Soda ash is cooled and ground into powder and sieved.
-It’s packed into paper bags, weighed and transported to the market.
marto answered the question on March 22, 2019 at 10:38

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