Geothermal Brines: A New Source of Commercially Valuable High Grade Silica

Abstract

An in depth, multi year R&D program dealing with geothermal residues and wastes has led to the development of processes and technologies for the conversion of precipitated wastes and brines, generated by geothermal power plants to useful and commercially attractive by products. Thus, high salinity brines and residues with significant concentrations of metal salts, silicates and in some cases, radioactive materials, were converted to environmentally acceptable wastes available to further processing and production of useful materials. Similarly, silica extraction from low salinity brines reduces the scaling problems and further treatment yields high grade silica, with many applications in the production of fine chemicals and other commercially valuable products. In this paper some of the above topics will be discussed.