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Gypsum Crystals (gypsum + crystal)
Selected AbstractsEffect of phosphonate additive on crystallization of gypsum in phosphoric and sulfuric acid mediumCRYSTAL RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY, Issue 12 2002H. El-Shall Abstract Understanding the mechanisms of growth and inhibition during crystallization of calcium sulfate is of primary importance for many industrial applications. For instance, inhibition of the crystallization process may be required to prevent scale formation in pipes, boilers, heat exchangers, reactors, reverse osmosis membrane surfaces, cooling water systems, secondary oil recovery utilizing water flooding techniques and desalination evaporators, etc. On the other hand, control growth and morphology of gypsum crystals is desired in achieving higher filtration rate and higher productivity of phosphoric acid from phosphate rocks. In this regard, this basic study is carried out to understand effect of Aminotris (methylenephosphonic acid (ATMP) on calcium sulfate dihydrate (gypsum) crystallization. The time elapsed between the achievement of supersaturation and the appearance of a solid phase (termed as induction time) is measured under different supersaturation ratios ranging from 1.018 to 1.979. The data are used to calculate the surface energy, critical nucleus size, and crystal growth rates of gypsum under different conditions. The results show that, the induction time decreases exponentially with increasing the supersaturation ratio. In addition, the surface energy decreases with ATMP compared to the baseline (without ATMP). Interestingly, with addition of the ATMP, the crystals mean and median diameters are found to decrease. The inhibition efficiency ranges from 16% to 59% depending on supersaturation ratio. [source] Ribosomal RNA gene fragments from fossilized cyanobacteria identified in primary gypsum from the late Miocene, ItalyGEOBIOLOGY, Issue 2 2010G. PANIERI Earth scientists have searched for signs of microscopic life in ancient samples of permafrost, ice, deep-sea sediments, amber, salt and chert. Until now, evidence of cyanobacteria has not been reported in any studies of ancient DNA older than a few thousand years. Here, we investigate morphologically, biochemically and genetically primary evaporites deposited in situ during the late Miocene (Messinian) Salinity Crisis from the north-eastern Apennines of Italy. The evaporites contain fossilized bacterial structures having identical morphological forms as modern microbes. We successfully extracted and amplified genetic material belonging to ancient cyanobacteria from gypsum crystals dating back to 5.910,5.816 Ma, when the Mediterranean became a giant hypersaline brine pool. This finding represents the oldest ancient cyanobacterial DNA to date. Our clone library and its phylogenetic comparison with present cyanobacterial populations point to a marine origin for the depositional basin. This investigation opens the possibility of including fossil cyanobacterial DNA into the palaeo-reconstruction of various environments and could also be used to quantify the ecological importance of cyanobacteria through geological time. These genetic markers serve as biosignatures providing important clues about ancient life and begin a new discussion concerning the debate on the origin of late Miocene evaporites in the Mediterranean. [source] Retardation of setting of plaster of Paris by organic acids: Understanding the mechanism through molecular modelingJOURNAL OF COMPUTATIONAL CHEMISTRY, Issue 12 2004Jörg-Rüdiger Hill Abstract To develop an understanding of the action of specific formulations, the growth of gypsum crystals under the influence of retardation agents (tartaric and citric acid) has been studied using molecular modeling. Surface energies of gypsum and plaster crystal faces were calculated using established protocols. The crystal morphology predicted for gypsum crystals in the absence of retardation agents is in excellent agreement with experiment. The simulations show that only in an alkaline environment is the crystal morphology of gypsum changed by retardation agents. The simulations provide a detailed description of retardation, for example, the specific mechanisms by which tartaric and citric acid retard setting of gypsum and how they differ. At high pH meso, D(,), and L(+) tartaric acid inhibit both the growth of gypsum and the dissolution of plaster while at low pH tartaric acid and citric acid will principally inhibit the growth of gypsum. The simulations provide a molecular rationalization for a range of experimental observations and a basis for the selection of alternate retardation agents. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comput Chem 25: 1438,1448, 2004 [source] Quantification of gypsum crystal nucleation, growth, and breakage rates in a wet flue gas desulfurization pilot plantAICHE JOURNAL, Issue 10 2009Brian B. Hansen Abstract The aim of this work is to study the influence of nucleation, growth and breakage on the particle size distribution (PSD) of gypsum crystals produced by the wet flue gas desulfurization (FGD) process. The steady state PSD, obtained in a falling film wet FGD pilot plant during desulfurization of a 1000 ppm(v) SO2 gas stream, displayed a strong nonlinear behaviour (in a ln(n(l)) vs. l plot) at the lower end of the particle size range, compared to the well-known linear mixed suspension mixed product removal model. A transient population balance breakage model, fitted to experimental data, was able to model an increase in the fraction of small particles, but not to the extent observed experimentally. A three-parameter, size-dependent growth model, previously used for sodium sulphate decahydrate and potash alum, was able to describe the experimental data, indicating either size-dependent integration kinetics or growth rate dispersion. © 2009 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2009 [source] | ||||||||||