brine is contacted with sodium carbonate application_number US 82201677 A description raw brines vary widely in composition both in the sodium chloride content of the brine and in the amount and nature of impurities present in the brine and generally contain from about 10 to 30 weight percent sodium chloride and from about 100 to 6 000 ppm impurities thus in a raw brine containing 25 weight percent sodium chloride the raw brine generally also contains as impurities from about 1 to 10 ppm iron compounds calculated as elemental iron 100 to 6 000 ppm calcium compounds calculated as elemental calcium 10 to 600 ppm magnesium compounds calculated as elemental magnesium 1 to 10 ppm aluminum compounds calculated as elemental aluminum and from about 1 to 200 ppm strontium compounds calculated as elemental strontium thus raw brines generally contain from about 1 to 200 ppm strontium 1 to 10 ppm iron 100 to 6 000 ppm calcium 10 to 600 ppm magnesium 1 to 10 ppm aluminum in addition to 0 1 to 10 ppm of other heavy metal impurities e g nickle and barium all calculated as the elemental metal the instant invention in its broadest aspects involves the successive contacting of raw brine containing dissolved strontium calcium and magnesium impurities 1 with sodium carbonate and recycled solids and 2 then with sodium hydroxide thus the process may be practiced in a single zone and the raw brine may be contacted with the sodium carbonate recycled solids and sodium hydroxide therein also in its broadest aspects the present invention includes removal of the strontium carbonate calcium carbonate and magnesium hydroxide solids by any means of solids separation.