Kinetic calculation results describing the observed nucleation and growth rates of barium sulphate crystals precipitated in an integrated reaction-crystallization process in a barium sulphate-ammonium chloride-water system are presented and analyzed. The scope of experiments included two continuous model DTM-type crystallizers (Draft Tube Magma) with internal circulation of the suspension forced by a liquid jet-pump device responsible for stable and intensive enough ascending/descending flow of BaSO4 crystal magma in a mixing chamber. For comparison purposes the experimental data corresponding to a continuous DT (Draft Tube) crystallizer with propeller agitator are presented and discussed. The various types of laboratory crystallizers used were fed with concentrated water solution of barium chloride (of 10 or 24 mass %) and - in a stoichiometric proportion - crystalline ammonium sulphate, assuming isothermal (348 K) and hydrodynamic (average residence time of suspension in a crystallizer: 900 s) process conditions. The observed nucleation and growth rates of barium sulphate crystals were estimated on the basis of crystal size distributions (CSDs) using convenient calculation scheme derived for an MSMPR (Mixed Suspension Mixed Product Removal) model approach. Considering the experimental population density distribution courses, a size-dependent growth (SDG) phenomenon was taken into account in the kinetic calculations. Five SDG kinetic models recommended in the accessible literature were used for kinetic parameter values estimation. It was proved statistically, that Rojkowski’s two SDG models (hyperbolic and exponential) best suit for our own experimental data description. The experimental data presented can be practically applied for improving the constructions of liquid jet-pump DTM crystallizers recommended for reaction crystallization of sparingly soluble inorganic salts (especially for high concentrations of reaction substrates) in the modern industrial-scale technologies.
Barium sulphate; Precipitation; Barium chloride; Ammonium sulphate; Reaction crystallization kinetics; Size-dependent growth (SDG); DTM MSMPR crystallizer; DT MSMPR crystallizer; Liquid jet pump
