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Crystallization of potassium sulphate from glaserite
Author(s) -
Mazzarotta B.
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
crystal research and technology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.377
H-Index - 64
eISSN - 1521-4079
pISSN - 0232-1300
DOI - 10.1002/crat.2170240503
Subject(s) - nucleation , supersaturation , crystallization , potassium , precipitation , salt (chemistry) , kinetics , chemistry , sodium , aqueous solution , inorganic chemistry , organic chemistry , physics , quantum mechanics , meteorology
The crystallization of K 2 SO 4 from aqueous solutions of glaserite (a double salt of sodium and potassium sulphate) was investigated in an MSMPR cooling apparatus at 35 °C. The precipitation of K 2 SO 4 at an average purity of 93 wt.% was obtained and the crystallization kinetics were derived from the experimental data. The nucleation and growth rates here obtained were, respectively, remarkably higher and slightly lower than those relevant to pure K 2 SO 4 : this behaviour may be explained by a faster nucleation and a slower growth of crystals containing also Na 2 SO 4 . The effect of small (0.05%) calcium additions to the feed was also tested, which caused an increase of supersaturation and a depression of the growth kinetics, whereas the nucleation one was not appreciably modified.