Development and prospect in the fundamental research on the decomposition of supersaturated sodium aluminate solution

Decomposition of supersaturated sodium aluminate solution is one of the most important procedures in the production of alumina. In this paper, the current research status on structural characteristics and decomposition mechanism of supersaturated sodium aluminate solution are reviewed. The basic structure of aluminate ions is summarized and the influence of concentration, caustic ratio and alkali metals on the structure is analyzed. The exploration about growth units of aluminum hydroxide precipitating from caustic aluminate solution as well as the decomposition mechanism are all remarked. Considering the enhancement of alumina production process, key research topics about the structural characters and decomposition mechanism of supersaturated sodium aluminate solution are put forward.