Crystal Growth of Aragonite Precipitated Calcium Carbonate by Seeded Method

Abstract

Characteristics of nucleation and crystal growth of aragonite precipitated calcium carbonate in Ca(OH)2 – MgCl2 – CO2 system via a carbonation process is investigated. Aragonite precipitated calcium carbonate with high aspect ratio was synthesized at high reaction temperature and concentration of Ca(OH)2 slurry. The increase in crystal size with decreased in CO2 gas flow rate can be explained by a decrease in the nucleation rate and an increase in the crystal growth rate caused by a decrease in the dissolution rate to CO3 2- ion. In this study, crystal growth of aragonite was investigated by adding aragonite seed. It was found that crystal growth of aragonite precipitated calcium carbonate could be controlled by three-step carbonation process using reactants as the Ca(OH)2. Aragonite with an aspect ratio from 5 to 27 and diameter from 3μm to 24μm was thereby grown at a reaction temperature of 80°C and a CO2 flow rate of 50ml/min. It was also found that MgCl2 aqueous solution can be used again in the carbonation process for the synthesis of aragonite precipitated calcium carbonate.