News
- 29.08.06
Magnezit Group Ltd. will be the first in Russia to begin industrial - scale production of calcined magnesite
Magnezit Group Ltd. will be the first in Russia to begin industrial — scale production of calcined magnesite. Total investments into this project amount to 245 million rubles.
In November 2006 industrial-scale production of calcined (caustic) magnesite of special purpose will be started at Kombinat Magnezit JSC which belongs to Magnezit Group Ltd. This will be the first and the only one industrial site in Russia for production of such a product. Caustic magnesite was produced to present day only abroad: in China, Greece, Spain. Total investments of the Group for research works, reconstruction and equipment modernization, development and introduction of a new technology for production of calcined magnesite amounted to 245 million rubles. Annual planned production capacity of the new facility will come to 90 thousand tons.
Calcined caustic magnesite is a product with very strict technical parameters. It is obtained by direct burning of magnesite under 800-1000°С. It will be used as a semi-finished product for production of dead-burned periclase clinkers which are necessary for production of raw materials with stable properties for production of highly durable refractory materials. It can be used also as a ready-made salable product for chemical, construction industry and for agriculture. For example in chemical industry calcined magnesite is used for production of substances used in agriculture as cattle feed additives with high content of magnesium. In construction industry it can be used as a compound of magnesia cement known as «Sorel cement».
«Today among consumers of special calcined magnesite there are predominantly big European enterprises of chemical and construction branches of industry as well as of agriculture. By estimates of Magnezit Group experts demand for this product on European countries grows rapidly and amounts to about 500 thousand tons per year, — commented Head of Directorate for strategic projects of Magnezit Group Oleg Shatilov. In Russia there exists at present only demand for magnesite caustic powder (product of dust trapping) which is used in pulp-and paper, ore-extracting, oil-and-gas-production, chemical, energy branches of industry, machine building, non-ferrous metallurgy and other branches. Nevertheless we are convinced that if special calcined magnesite appears on the local market it will have a stable run among Russian enterprises. By our estimates annual capacity of Russian market of calcibed magnesite for the next 1 — 2 years might amount up to 100 thousand tons.
In order to achieve industrial — scale volumes of calcined magnesite production and ensure high quality of product rotary kiln № 7 will be commissioned after reconstruction this November. This kiln has an independent technological route. Independent loading of the kiln enables to deliver, burn and get the product without mixing the burning process with other kilns. Besides construction of calcined magnesite briquetting facility is going on now at the magnesia powder workshop № 2. Briquetted material will be burned in a high temperature shaft furnace. Investments into this project will amount supposedly up to 600 million rubles.
Trial lots of calcined magnesite have been already produced at Kombinat Magnezit JSC. They were successfully tested at the Center for technological developments. Research works confirmed high quality and stable technical characteristics of the product. These characteristics can be adjusted according to consumers' requirements.