Diffusion-reaction compromise the polymorphs of precipitated calcium carbonate--颗粒学报PARTICUOLOGY

Wang, H., Huang, W., & Han, Y. (2013). Diffusion-reaction compromise the polymorphs of precipitated calcium carbonate. Particuology, 11(3), 301–308. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.partic.2012.10.003

Diffusion-reaction compromise the polymorphs of precipitated calcium carbonate

Han Wang ^{a b}, Wenlai Huang ^a, Yongsheng Han ^a *

a EMMS Group, State Key Laboratory of Multiphase Complex Systems, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
b Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100490, China

10.1016/j.partic.2012.10.003

Volume 11, Issue 3, June 2013, Pages 301-308

Received 17 April 2012, Revised 1 October 2012, Accepted 14 October 2012, Available online 26 February 2013.

E-mail: yshan@home.ipe.ac.cn

Highlights

► A three-cell reactor was devised to study influence of diffusion on polymorphism of CaCO₃.

► Compromise of diffusion and reaction dominated the morphology of crystallization products.

Abstract

Diffusion is seldom considered by chemists and materialists in the preparation of materials while it plays an important role in the field of chemical engineering. If we look at crystallization at the atomic level, crystal growth in a solution starts from the diffusion of ions to the growing surface followed by the incorporation of ions into its lattice. Diffusion can be a rate determining step for the growth of crystals. In this paper, we take the crystallization of calcium carbonate as an example to illustrate the microscopic processes of diffusion and reaction and their compromising influence on the morphology of the crystals produced. The diffusion effect is studied in a specially designed three-cell reactor. Experiments show that a decrease of diffusion leads to retardation of supersaturation and the formation of a continuous concentration gradient in the reaction cell, thus promoting the formation of cubic calcite particles. The reaction rate is regulated by temperature. Increase of reaction rate favors the formation of needle-like aragonite particles. When diffusion and reaction play joint roles in the reaction system, their compromise dominates the formation of products, leading to a mixture of cubic and needle-like particles with a controllable ratio. Since diffusion and reaction are universal factors in the preparation of materials, the finding of this paper could be helpful in the controlled synthesis of other materials.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

Calcium carbonate; Shape control; Crystallization; Diffusion; Compromise

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