The effect of temperature and addition of reducing agent on sodium stannate preparation from cassiterite by the alkaline roasting process

Sodium stannate is an intermediate compound with the formula Na2SnO3. This compound is easily dissolved in water and has many applications in the electroplating industry, tin alloy production, and catalysts for organic synthesis. In this occasion was investigated the effect of temperature and the addition of reducing agent on making of sodium stannate phase from cassiterite by an alkaline roasting process using sodium carbonate (Na2CO3). Firstly, cassiterite was roasted at 700 °C for 3 hours and continued leaching process using 10% HCl solution at 110 °C for 2 hours. The cassiterite residue than was dried at 110 °C and mixed homogenously with a Na2CO3 decomposer at a mass ratio Na2CO3/cassiterite as 5:3 for the decomposition process. It was done by variation temperatures (300 °C, 700 °C, 800 °C, 870 °C, 900 °C) for 3 hours, variation times (3, 4, 5 hours) at a roasting temperature of 700 °C and addition of reducing agent such as sub-bituminous coal. The result of the experiment shows that cassiterite prepared by roasting and acid leaching process has the chemical composition as follows: 59.98% Sn, 22.58% O, 3.20% Ce, 3.15% La, 2.57% Nd, 1.67% Ti, 1.56% Fe, 1.24% P, 0.62% Ca and others. The Na2SnO3 phase begins to form at a roasting temperature of 870 °C for 3 hours. Although the roasting times was extended from 3 hours to 5 hours at 700 °C, the Na2SnO3 phase also has not yet formed. In other conditions, the addition of coal reducing agent to the roasting process would cause formations of Sn metal besides Na2SnO3 phase at 870 °C. At temperatures lower than 870 °C, the addition of coal only forms Sn metal, whereas the sodium stannate phase is not formed.