Channel Flow Cell Studies of the Inhibiting Action of Gypsum on the Dissolution Kinetics of Calcite: A Laboratory Approach with Implications for Field Monitoring

The rate of dissolution of surface-treated calcite crystals in aqueous acidic solution has been studied using an adaptation of the channel flow cell method with microdisc electrode detection. Surface treatments of calcite with sulfuric acid lead to the nucleation of gypsum overgrowths, which reduce the rate of dissolution of calcite. Rate constants for untreated calcite and calcite pretreated with sulfuric acid conditions of 0.01 M for 1 h, 0.05 M for 5 h, and 0.1 M for 21 h are found to be 0.035, 0.018, 0.006, and 0.004 cm s(-1), respectively. Deterioration of calcite materials caused by acid deposition was investigated by field exposure of untreated and sulfate pretreated calcite rocks under urban conditions for 12 months. The rate constant for both pretreated and untreated calcite exposed to weathering is 0.003 cm s(-1). This suggests that calcite self-passivates the surface from further reaction when exposed to acid deposition. However, surface studies indicate that the surface undergoes erosion and dissolution before passivation. Pretreatment of the surface with sulfate protects the surface from acid deposition so it remains less reactive toward acid compared with untreated calcite. Copyright 2001 Academic Press.     

Dissolution kinetics of granular calcium carbonate in concentrated aqueous sodium dichromate solution at pH 6.0-7.0 and 110-130 degrees C

An understanding of the factors controlling calcite dissolution is important for modeling geochemical cycles and impacts of greenhouse gases on climate, diagenesis of sediments, and sedimentary rocks. It also has practical significance in the investigation of behavior of carbonates in petroleum and natural gas reservoirs and in the preservation of buildings and monuments constructed from limestone and marble. A large number of papers have been published on dissolution kinetics of calcium carbonate in aqueous solutions. But few involved the near-equilibrium region, especially at elevated temperatures and in concentrated solutions. In this paper, the dissolution kinetics of calcium carbonate in concentrated aqueous sodium dichromate solutions at pH 6.0-7.0 and 110-130 degrees C were studied in a 2-L autoclave. The results indicate that the dissolution reaction is mix-controlled, with surface reaction as the prevailing factor. The concentration of calcium ions in solution hardly affects the dissolution rate, but carbon dioxide in the vapor phase inhibits the dissolution reaction. The dissolution rate can be expressed by R = k(1)a(2)(H+) + k(2), and the apparent activation energy is 55-84 kJ mol(-1).     

The calcite/water interface II. Effect of added lattice ions on the charge properties and adsorption of sodium polyacrylate

The origin of the surface potential of calcium carbonate in aqueous dispersions and the dissolution of calcite in systems containing excess Ca(2+) and CO(3)(2-) have been the subjects of this study. In addition, stabilization of calcite particles with an anionic polyelectrolyte (sodium polyacrylate (NaPA)) and the effect on surface potential and dissolution of calcite have been studied. Preferential dissolution of either Ca(2+) or CO(3)(2-) from the surface, which is governed by the partial pressure of CO(2) in solution and the pH of the solution, mainly determines the surface potential. Both lattice ions (Ca(2+) and CO(3)(2-)) adsorb onto the surface and thus alter the surface potential. NaPA adsorbs strongly onto the calcite surface regardless of background electrolyte concentration, and reverses the surface potential to negative values. Chelation of the surface due to NaPA can be partly prevented by adding Ca(2+) to the dispersion.     

The calcite/water interface I. Surface charge in indifferent electrolyte media and the influence of low-molecular-weight polyelectrolyte

Suspensions of calcium carbonate in water with an indifferent background electrolyte (NaCl) have been investigated using several techniques. Particular attention was paid to the dissolution of calcite at equilibrium and as a function of sodium polyacrylate (NaPA) concentration. Also of interest was how this affects the magnitude of the surface charge and the zeta potential. The development of the interfacial charge is discussed with respect to the dissolved species and with regard to the kinetics of dissolution. The partial pressure of CO(2) in solution is believed to play a major role in determining the sign of the charge at equilibrium. In addition to effectively stabilizing calcite suspensions, NaPA was also found to act as a chelating agent at the calcite surface, enhancing the dissolution. The order of addition of NaPA to the suspensions was found to be important.     

Channel flow cell studies on the evaluation of surface pretreatments using phosphoric acid or polymaleic acid for calcite stone protection

The dissolution kinetics of surface-pretreated and weathered calcite was investigated in dilute acid using a channel flow cell with microdisk detection. Two pretreatments were studied, polymaleic acid and phosphoric acid. Treatment with polymaleic acid was shown to significantly passivate calcite but to a lesser extent than the phosphoric acid and the former coating was found to be less effective for protection of calcite from acid attack. However, treatment of calcite with phosphoric acid resulted in the passivation of calcite from acid attack which strongly inhibited dissolution, an effect that was enhanced even further after exposure to the environment.     

Calorimetric study of dissolution kinetics of phosphorite in diluted acetic acid

In this report, we present a thermodynamic and kinetic study of the selective dissolution of calcite from low-grade phosphate ores (Epirus area, Greece) by dilute acetic acid at isothermal conditions. A twin calorimeter with two identical membrane vessels, for the acid dissolution process, and for the reference was used. The curves of rate vs. time of the phosphorite dissolution for various temperatures show that the maximum (.q _max) was increased, whereas the time (t _peak) to achieve the corresponding .q _max values was decreased, as the experimental temperature was increased. The dissolution enthalpy was increased from 13.1 to 16.7 kJ mol⁻¹, as the experimental temperature was increased from 10.0 to 28.0°C. The chemical analysis of the supernatant solutions shows that the main process was the calcite dissolution. The reaction model with general form, ln(1/(1-X))=kt ^m, was found to fitted the experimental data regardless of the experimental temperature. These results were assigned in the presence of two different kinds of particles in the phosphorite. The activation energy of the dissolution process was found 69.7 kJ mol⁻¹. The SEM micrographs of acid dissolution samples showed two different textures after acid dissolution.     

High‐Magnesium Calcite Mesocrystals: Formation in Aqueous Solution under Ambient Conditions

Mesocrystals of high‐magnesian calcites are commonly found in biogenic calcites. Under ambient conditions, it remains challenging to prepare mesocrystals of high‐magnesian calcite in aqueous solution. We report that mesocrystals of calcite with magnesium content of about 20 mol % can be obtained from the phase transformation of magnesian amorphous calcium carbonate (Mg‐ACC) in lipid solution. The limited water content on the Mg‐ACC surface would reduce the extent of the dissolution–reprecipitation process and bias the phase transformation pathway toward solid‐state reaction. We infer from the selected area electron diffraction patterns and the dark‐field transmission electron microscopic images that the formation of Mg‐calcite mesocrystals occurs through solid‐state secondary nucleation, for which the phase transformation is initiated near the mineral surface and the crystalline phase propagates gradually toward the interior part of the microspheres of Mg‐ACC.     

KINETICS STUDIES OF MINERAL-WATER REACTIONS IN HYDROTHERMAL FLOW SYSTEMS AT ELEVATED TEMPERATURES AND PRESSURES

This paper describes new experimental results on mlneral-water reaction kinetics obtained in plug-flow systems at high temperatures and pressures. As an example, the rates of reaction between calcite, fluorite, albite and water in the continuous flowing system have been measured in three separate studies. All experiments are carried out by suspending a sample bag in the plug-flow vessel, by pumping water at carefully controlled rates through the vessel, and by collecting and analyzing the reacted solution. In addition, the reaction mechanisms of fluorite and albite in a packed bed reactor have been studied with the aid of an axial dispersion model. The main factors controlling the effective dissolution rate with respect to temperature, solvent flow rate, and chemistry of the input solutions have been evaluated. It is also found that a non-steady state process is, in some cases, still observed, even under conditions where steady state conditions should have been attained. These results provide informatio     

High-magnesian calcite mesocrystals: a coordination chemistry approach

While biogenic calcites frequently contain appreciable levels of magnesium, the pathways leading to such high concentrations remain unclear. The production of high-magnesian calcites in vitro is highly challenging, because Mg-free aragonite, rather than calcite, is the favored product in the presence of strongly hydrated Mg(2+) ions. While nature may overcome this problem by forming a Mg-rich amorphous precursor, which directly transforms to calcite without dissolution, high Mg(2+)/Ca(2+) ratios are required synthetically to precipitate high-magnesian calcite from solution. Indeed, it is difficult to synthesize amorphous calcium carbonate (ACC) containing high levels of Mg, and the Mg is typically not preserved in the calcite product as the transformation occurs via a dissolution-reprecipitation route. We here present a novel synthetic method, which employs a strategy based on biogenic systems, to generate high-magnesian calcite. Mg-containing ACC is produced in a nonaqueous environment by reacting a mixture of Ca and Mg coordination complexes with CO(2). Control over the Mg incorporation is simply obtained by the ratio of the starting materials. Subsequent crystallization at reduced water activities in an organic solvent/water mixture precludes dissolution and reprecipitation and yields high-magnesian calcite mesocrystals with Mg contents as high as 53 mol %. This is in direct contrast with the polycrystalline materials generally observed when magnesian calcite is formed synthetically. Our findings give insight into the possible mechanisms of formation of biogenic high-magnesian calcites and indicate that precise control over the water activity may be a key element.     

Calcite Microneedle Arrays Produced by Inorganic Ion‐Assisted Anisotropic Dissolution of Bulk Calcite Crystal

Besides studies on the mineralization process, research on the demineralization of minerals provides another way to understand the crystallization mechanism of biominerals and fabricate crystals with complicated morphologies. The formation of ordered arrays of c‐axis‐oriented calcite microneedles with a tri‐symmetric structure and lengths of more than 20 μm was realized on a large scale for the first time through anisotropic dissolution of calcite substrates in undersaturated aqueous solution in the presence of ammonium salts. The lengths and the aspect ratios of the calcite microneedles can be tuned by simply changing the concentrations of the ammonium salts and the dissolution time. The shape of the transverse cross sections of the calcite microneedles obtained in the presence of NH₄Cl and NH₄Ac is almost regularly triangular. The tri‐symmetric transverse cross‐section geometry of the calcite microneedles could be attributed to the tri‐symmetric feature of rhombohedral calcite atomic structures, the synergetic interactions between electrostatic interaction of ammonium ions and dangling surface carbonate groups, and the ion incorporation of halide ions.     

碳酸钡单晶微米锥阵列在方解石(104)面上的外延生长

通过液固界面上的溶解-沉淀耦合反应在Ba(NO₃)₂乙醇-水溶液中实现了毒重石晶型的碳酸钡在方解石(CaCO₃)晶体基底上的外延生长, 得到碳酸钡的单晶微米锥阵列. 碳酸钡微米锥的长轴平行于毒重石晶体的[001]方向,同时也与方解石基底[001]晶向相同, 其俯视图为六边形, 具有近似的六方对称性. 随反应时间的增加, 外延生长形成的碳酸钡微米锥的尺寸增加, 但其轴径比逐渐减小. 通过改变乙醇-水混合溶剂中的乙醇含量或者Ba(NO₃)₂浓度也能调控碳酸钡晶体的尺寸和形貌. 随着混合溶剂中乙醇含量与Ba(NO₃)₂浓度的提高, 溶液中BaCO₃的过饱和度增加, 通过外延生长在方解石的(104)表面形成的BaCO₃阵列结构的密集程度逐渐增加, 尺寸逐渐减小, 形貌从微米锥逐渐转变为微米柱状结构. 经过对晶化过程及毒重石和方解石晶体结构分析,提出了在方解石表面外延生长形成的毒重石微米锥单晶阵列结构的形成过程机理: 该过程为界面溶解-沉淀耦合反应的过程,方解石的溶解和毒重石的外延生长过程同时进行, 由于两种晶体在方解石基底的(104)晶面与(001)晶面上具有中高度错配值, 毒重石晶体在方解石的这两个晶面上发生Volmer-Weber型的外延生长, 逐渐形成在靠近基底处包覆有方解石台阶的毒重石微米锥单晶阵列结构.     

Chelating ligand alters the microscopic mechanism of mineral dissolution

Ethylenediamine tetraacetate (EDTA)-mediated calcite dissolution occurs via a different process than water-promoted dissolution. Near-atomic-scale observations in EDTA solutions demonstrate that, after penetration through a critical pit depth barrier, step velocity increases linearly with pit depth for EDTA-promoted dissolution. The parallel processes of water-dominated dissolution at point defects and ligand-dominated dissolution at linear defects are clearly observable in real-time atomic force micrographs. EDTA and water initiate and propagate dissolution steps with pit-depth-dependent and -independent step velocities, respectively. The linear defects are susceptible to continuously increasing step velocities, but the point defects are not. The findings update the conceptual framework of the microscopic mechanism of mineral dissolution.     

Polymer coatings to passivate calcite from acid attack: polyacrylic acid and polyacrylonitrile

The extent of passivation of calcite toward dissolution by aqueous acids arising from polymeric coatings based on polyacrylic acid or polyacrylonitrile is evaluated using a channel flow cell technique with microdisc electrode detection. In situ passivation with polyacrylic acid leads to a reduction in the reactivity of calcite toward acid attack with a reduction in the rate constant by up to an order of magnitude compared with untreated calcite. Ex situ passivation with polyacrylic acid for 24 h results in good coverage of the calcite by the polymer but it is shown to erode from the surface when exposed to an aqueous acid solution. In contrast, polyacrylonitrile is demonstrated to form a regular coating after exposure for just 1 h and offers robust potent protection from aqueous acid attack.     

Crystalline order of a water/glycine film coadsorbed on the (104) calcite surface

For biomineralization processes, the interaction of the surface of calcite crystals with organic molecules is of particular importance. Especially, biologically controlled biomineralization as in exoskeletons of mollusks and echinoderms, e.g., sea urchin with single-crystal-like spines and shells,1-3 requires molecular control of seed formation and growth process. So far, experiments showing the obvious influence of organic molecules on the morphology and habit of calcite crystals have demonstrated the molecular dimension of the interaction.4-7 Details of the kinetics of growth and dissolution of mineral surfaces influenced by additives are available,8,9 but other experimental data about the structure of the organic/inorganic interface on the atomic scale are rare. On the other hand, complicated organic macromolecules which are involved in biomineralization are numerous, with only a small fraction solved in structure and function so far.10-13 Therefore, model systems have to be designed to provide a basic understanding for the interaction process.14 Using grazing incidence X-ray diffraction combined with molecular modeling techniques, we show that glycine molecules order periodically on the calcite (104) face in competition with the solvent water when exposed to an aqueous solution of the most simple amino acid. In contrast to the general concept of the charge-matching fit of organic molecules on mineral surfaces,4,14 glycine is not attached to the calcite surface directly but substitutes for water molecules in the second hydration layer.     

Characterisation of dolomites before and after reactivity measurement with HCl solution

The aim of this study was to compare different types of dolomites through batch reactivity experiments between HCl and dolomite powders, and ex‐situ characterisation of the particles before and after dissolution. Sedimentary dolomites were observed to have higher initial reactivities than metamorphic ones with sufficiently low calcite concentrations (<6% according to our regression model). In addition, the initial reactivities of the metamorphic dolomites were dependent on calcite concentration and could exceed those of the sedimentary dolomites. A regression model is presented for the dependence of initial reactivity on mineral composition and type of origin (sedimentary/metamorphic). The samples with the highest initial reactivities had also the largest BET (Brunauer, Emmet, Teller) surface areas obtained with nitrogen physisorption. Yet our data indicates that mineral composition of the dolomite has a greater influence on the initial reactivity than the BET surface area. Furthermore, it was found that the surface of sedimentary dolomites, unlike the surface of metamorphic dolomites, becomes porous during dissolution. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

An organic hydrogel as a matrix for the growth of calcite crystals

The growth of calcite in an aqueous gel of was studied and the appearance of the crystals was found to change over time. Crystals removed from the gel at progressively longer times showed severely affected surfaces resulting from dissolution. If crystals were removed from the gel after 3.5 hours, at which point there were no etch pits, and then placed in either buffer or pure water, etch pits, similar to those observed on crystals that are left in the gel, were observed. Control calcite crystals exposed to similar conditions (water or buffer) show no significant dissolution after equivalent times. A probable cause of the altered dissolution is the non-specific occlusion of gelator aggregates at sites of imperfection. The gel appears to provide a microenvironment in which the molecules that form the matrix also participate in the crystallization. This system allows the study of the unique properties of a gel for influencing the nucleation and growth of inorganic crystals, some of which may be important for better understanding biomineralization.     

The Inhibition of Calcite Dissolution/Precipitation: 1,2-Dicarboxylic Acids

The dissolution of calcite under conditions of high pH (8.0-9.0) is shown to be strongly inhibited by ca. 10 mM levels of the fully deprotonated forms of succinic acid, phthalic acid, and maleic acid. Channel flow cell measurements are used in each case to deduce the appropriate rate law for dissolution. For the maleate dianion it is demonstrated that the inhibition is likely due to the blocking of dissolution/growth sites at which CaCO₃ units are incorporated into or removed from the crystal lattice, whereas for the other two ions it arises from competitive Langmuirian adsorption of the dicarboxylate ions and CO^2-₃ on the calcite surface.     

Uptake of CO2, SO2, HNO3 and HCl on calcite (CaCO3) at 300 K: mechanism and the role of adsorbed water

All experimental observations of the uptake of the four title compounds on calcite are consistent with the presence of a reactive bifunctional surface intermediate Ca(OH)(HCO3) that has been proposed in the literature. The uptake of CO2 and SO2 occurs on specific adsorption sites of crystalline CaCO3(s) rather than by dissolution in adsorbed water, H2O(ads). SO2 primarily interacts with the bicarbonate moiety whereas CO2, HNO3 and HCl all react first with the hydroxyl group of the surface intermediate. Subsequently, the latter two react with the bicarbonate group to presumably form Ca(NO3)2 and CaCl2.2H2O. The effective equilibrium constant of the interaction of CO2 with calcite in the presence of H2O(ads) is kappa = deltaCO2/(H2O(ads)[CO2]) = 1.62 x 10(3) bar(-1), where CO2 is the quantity of CO2 adsorbed on CaCO3. The reaction mechanism involves a weakly bound precursor species that is reversibly adsorbed and undergoes rate-controlling concurrent reactions with both functionalities of the surface intermediate. The initial uptake coefficients gamma0 on calcite powder depend on the abundance of H2O(ads) under the present experimental conditions and are on the order of 10(-4) for CO2 and 0.1 for SO2, HNO3 and HCl, with gamma(ss) being significantly smaller than gamma0 for HNO3 and HCl, thus indicating partial saturation of the uptake. At 33% relative humidity and 300 K there are 3.5 layers of H2O adsorbed on calcite that reduce to a fraction of a monolayer of weakly and strongly bound water upon pumping and/or heating.     

原子力显微镜法研究方解石(104)面的生长及溶解

研究生物矿化过程及生物矿物的形成机制具有重要的科学意义,这方面的研究不仅有助于我们认识自然,而且还可以指导体外仿生合成具有分级结构的功能性复合材料.原子力显微镜(atomic force microscope,AFM)是微米、纳米尺度上实时观测矿物成核或生长的强有力工具.本文综述了原子力显微镜法研究方解石(104)面生...