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Continuous crystallization of potash alum: MSMPR kinetics
Author(s) -
Jones A. G.,
Mydlarz J.
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
the canadian journal of chemical engineering
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.404
H-Index - 67
eISSN - 1939-019X
pISSN - 0008-4034
DOI - 10.1002/cjce.5450680210
Subject(s) - alum , supersaturation , crystallization , nucleation , precipitation , aqueous solution , chemistry , particle size distribution , potash , mineralogy , crystal growth , particle size , analytical chemistry (journal) , potassium , materials science , chromatography , crystallography , physics , organic chemistry , meteorology
The crystallization kinetics of potash alum (aluminium potassium sulphate) from aqueous and aqueous acetone solutions respectively in a continuous mixed‐suspension, mixed‐product‐removal (MSMPR) crystallizer (capacity 4 L) are reported. Growth and nucleation rates are determined by direct model estimation via the population balance analysis of crystal size distribution measured using laser light scattering and sieve analysis. The overall growth rate during drowning‐out precipitation strongly decreases with increasing acetone concentration in the crystallizing solution. Nucleation rates evaluated at zero‐size, however, are virtually unaffected while the “effective” nucleation rates are strongly increased by the presence of acetone with a reduction in the supersaturation order. Magma density dependence is approximately first order during cooling crystallization while a somewhat lower dependence is detected during drowning‐out precipitation.