PRODUCTION OF MAGNESIUM NITRATE AND SULFATE FROM INDUSTRIAL SERPENTINITE WASTE

Abstract

In the context of soil depletion and a shortage of macro- and micronutrients, the development of local fertilizer production based on magnesium, nitrogen, and sulfur is gaining strategic importance for Kazakhstan’s agricultural sector. This study explores the potential of serpentinite waste generated during the processing of chrysotile ore from the Zhitikara deposit (Kostanay region) as a raw material for producing magnesium-based fertilizers integrated with nitrogen and sulfur. New technological schemes and approaches for obtaining magnesium nitrate and epsomite include stages of leaching, neutralization, and purification of productive solutions – Mg(NO₃)₂ and MgSO₄. The quality characteristics of the resulting products are presented. The proposed schemes for extracting magnesium from serpentinite waste in the form of magnesium nitrate and epsomite may serve as a foundation for new research encompassing environmental, agrochemical, and economic aspects of chrysotile waste processing.