ABSTRACT
EARS [Enhanced Acid Regeneration System] A process for recovering hydrochloric acid from the *ERMS ilmenite beneciation process. It may also be used for recovering waste pickle liquor. The acid liquor, containing ferrous chloride, is evaporated at low temperature to form iron chloride pellets, which are fed to a pyrohydrolysis reactor. This generates hydrochloric acid and iron oxide pellets, which can be used for steel production or disposed of as inert landll. Developed by E.A. Walpole at the University of Newcastle, Australia, from the early 1990s and piloted by Austpac Gold (now Austpac Resources). Construction of a demonstration plant was announced in 2013.
