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How is sodium dichromate made from chromite ore for chrome tanning?
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chromium processing
Chromium.
To produce sodium dichromate from chromite ore for use in chrome tanning, the ore is first heated with soda ash (sodium carbonate). This process converts the chromium in the ore into soluble sodium chromate, which is then leached out with water.12
The resulting sodium chromate solution is subsequently treated with sulfuric acid to convert it into sodium dichromate (). In the context of the leather industry, this sodium dichromate serves as the precursor for producing basic chromic sulfates, which are the specific reagents utilized in the tanning process.12