A Mineral Store/muse
123
figure 13 extraction of magnesium from sea water
.
_
…
oyster
burned
ocean water
she-Hs
to lime
ï‘—ï
:.
.
..
*
precipitated
magnesium hydrate
converted to
magnesium chloride
by addition of
hydrochloric acid
evaporators
chlorine gas
.
returned to
electrolytuc cells
processes
hydrochloric acid
magnesium ingots
"
…
.
the bulk of the metal taken from the ocean. With a value counted in
millionths of dollars, it is unlikely that the process Wlll be promoted!
On the other hand another metal—uranium—f0und 1n traces,
albeit a thousand times greater than gold, may be worth extractmg
in the more distant future. Everything depends on how the price of
uranium moves; at present it would cost probably more to extract
it from sea—water than to use as yet unexploited low—grade ores on
the land. Of course the process may become" competitive With
further research, but at the worst according to one British expert,
N. ]. Keen, the cost of extracting uranium from the sea sets an
123
figure 13 extraction of magnesium from sea water
.
_
…
oyster
burned
ocean water
she-Hs
to lime
ï‘—ï
:.
.
..
*
precipitated
magnesium hydrate
converted to
magnesium chloride
by addition of
hydrochloric acid
evaporators
chlorine gas
.
returned to
electrolytuc cells
processes
hydrochloric acid
magnesium ingots
"
…
.
the bulk of the metal taken from the ocean. With a value counted in
millionths of dollars, it is unlikely that the process Wlll be promoted!
On the other hand another metal—uranium—f0und 1n traces,
albeit a thousand times greater than gold, may be worth extractmg
in the more distant future. Everything depends on how the price of
uranium moves; at present it would cost probably more to extract
it from sea—water than to use as yet unexploited low—grade ores on
the land. Of course the process may become" competitive With
further research, but at the worst according to one British expert,
N. ]. Keen, the cost of extracting uranium from the sea sets an