The precipitation of barium chromate powders from aqueous solution at different pHs: Nucleation,final crystal numbers and sizes

Barium chromate precipitations were studied from equivalent aqueous solutions of initial overall metal salt concentrations from 0.00013 to 0.010 M at ambient temperature and at pHs from 8 to 3. At pHs from 8 to 5, precipitation mainly occurred through homogeneous nucleation: the reciprocal induction periods (and nucleation rates) and the crystal numbers generally decreased with reduction of pH but the values at any effective mean metal salt concentration increased appreciably with increasing acidity. Presumably, both M⁺⁺A and M⁺⁺HA⁻ species were taking part in the nucleation process. – At pHs below 5, heterogeneous nucleation predominated in most precipitations: the crystal numbers and nucleus numbers at any effective metal salt concentration increased with reduction of pH in these systems. Presumably, more active sites for heterogeneous nucleation were developed.     

The precipitation of lead sulphate from aqueous and aqueous alcohol solutions: Nucleation,final sizes and morphology

The precipitation of lead sulphate was studied from 0.0001 to 0.01 M aqueous solutions (supersaturations 3 to 600) and from 20% aqueous ethanediol, methanol and ethanol solutions, in polypropylene beakers, at ambient temperature: the experimental techniques were conductivity measurements and optical microscopy. The precipitations were heterogeneously nucleated at low supersaturations and homogeneously nucleated at intermediate to high supersaturations. New crystal morphologies generally developed at some what higher supersaturations in the aqueous alcohol systems. The final crystal lengths at first increased with increasing initial metal salt concentration and then decreased with this parameter; the largest crystals at any concentration were obtained from solutions in which lead sulphate solubility was highest. The critical supersaturations (for the onset of homogeneous nucleation) increased from 36 (in water) to 50 (in 20% aqueous ethanol): the surface energies for the formation of nuclei correspondingly increased from 90 to 110 mJ m⁻² in good agreement with the Nielsen-Söhnel relation. The nucleation and crystal growth processes are taking in an aqueous environment of similar water activity to that of the bulk solutions.     

The precipitation of transition metal oxalate powders from aqueous solution. Crystal numbers and final sizes

The precipitation of manganous, ferrous, cobalt, nickel and copper oxalate hydrates was studied from equivalent solutions of concentrations from 0.001 to 0.3 M at pHs 7 to 6, by optical microscopy and other methods. Crystals growth started after induction periods: the precipitations were heterogeneously nucleated at low supersaturations and homogeneously nucleated at medium to high supersaturations. The crystal numbers of the final precipitates depended on the number of nuclei (and crystallites) formed during the induction periods. At medium to high supersaturations, crystal numbers increased with increasing initial metal oxalate complex ion concentrations according to the relation. N = N₁C_mox^β, where β was 5. The N values increased in the order Mn ≪ Fe < Co < < Ni < Cu. The final crystal lengths, in this range, then decreased with increasing metal oxalate complex ion concentrations according to the relation l_fin = l₁/C_mox^γ, where γ was 1.3. For precipitations from solution of any concentration, smaller crystals were generally obtained in the precipitates of the metal oxalate of lower solubility; nickel oxalate precipitations were the exception to this.     

The precipitation of calcium carbonate powders from aqueous solution with slow development of supersaturation. Induction periods,crystal numbers and final sizes

The precipitation of calcium carbonate was studied by slow addition of anion solution to excess cation solution and by slow mixing of equivalent cation land anion solutions at 20 °C: the final solute concentrations (C_fin were varied from 0.01 to 0.75 mole 1⁻¹ while the rates (R) of addition of ions were varied from 0.06 to 6 · 10⁻³ ion 1⁻¹ sec⁻¹. At first, mainly heterogeneous nuclei formed continuously during induction periods; then, as the metal salt concentration in solution increased, some more heterogeneous nuclei formed but homogeneous nucleation soon predominated. The second nucleation process probably attained its maximum rate when the metal salt concentratio in solution reached its maximum value (C_max) and then probably terminated quite rapidly. Some further nuclei also formed during the growth process when crystal growth was prolonged. The final nucleus numbers (N) (and thence the crystal numbers) for slow precipitations from dilute solutions were then rather higher than the optimum number N∞ (het) of heterogeneous nuclei in the solution; nucleus numbers then increased with increasing maxing rate according to the relations . These numbers were similar to those noted for rapid precipitation – onto homogeneous nuclei – from calcium carbonate solutions of concentrations somewhat lower than the C_max values. The final average crystal lengths of any precipitate then generally varied with mixing rate according to the relations, . where l₁ values increased with (C_fln)^0.33.     

The precipitation of alkaline-earth metal molybdate powders from aqueous solution. Crystal numbers,final morphology and sizes

The precipitation of barium, strontium and calcium molybdates was studied from neutral equivalent solutions of concentrations from 0.0004 to 0.4 M at 25 °C. Crystal growth started after induction periods; the precipitiations were heterogeneously nucleated at low supersaturations and homogeneously nucleated at medium to high supersaturations. Barium molybdate was precipitated as tetragonal bipyramids, strontium molybdate generally as prisms and calcium molybdate as platelets. Crystal numbers at medium to high supersaturations increased with increasing inital metal molybdate concentrations according to the relation, The final crystal lengths in this range than decreased from maximum values (at the critical concentrations) with increasing initial metal molybdate concentrations according to the relation. Generally, for precipitation from solutions at any concentration, larger crystals were obtained in the precipitates of the salt of higher solubility.     

The precipitation of basic nickel carbonate powders from aqueous solution. Crystallite numbers,composition and final sizes

The precipitation of basic nickel carbonate hydrates was studied from nickel sulphate solutions (concentrations 0.05 M to 1 M) at 96°C, by addition of sodium carbonate, bicarbonate-carbonate and bicarbonate solutions. Precipitate compositions were determined by chemical analysis, thermogravimetric analysis, differential calorimetry and i.r. spectrophotometry; approximate final crystallite sizes and numbers were estimated from combined sedimentation and porosity measurements on precipitate aggregates. Nucleation, and then crystal growth, started after some ‘critical pH’ pH = 7.05 to 7.67 (at CO₃⁻⁻/Ni⁺⁺ ratio = 0.08–0.12); the solution pH then remained constant (until the CO₃⁻⁻/Ni⁺⁺ ratio = 0.8) and then rose to some final value. Nucleus numbers, and thence final crystallite numbers, decreased with increasing bicarbonate content of the precipitating solution and decreasing pH . Precipitate compositions did not vary significantly with reacting ion concentrations but the Ni(OH)₂/NiCO₃ ratios decreased from 2 to 1.4 with decreasing pH : thermal analysis and i.r. spectrophotometry confirmed that the final precipitates were mixtures of olated nickel carbonates and not nickel carbonate-nickel hydroxide mixtures. Final crystallite sizes of the precipitates from 1 M solutions varied approximately from 0.095 to 0.14 micron, for the above pH range.     

The precipitation of alkaline-earth metal polymetaphosphate hydrate powders from aqueous solution. Nucleation and crystal growth processes,final precipitate compositions and crystal sizes

The precipitation of barium, strontium, calcium and magnesium polymetaphosphate hydrates was studied from aqueous solutions of initial metal salt concentrations from 0.001 to 3 M at 20 °C; equivalent sodium polymetaphosphate solutions were added to the alkaline-earth metal chloride solutions. Precipitate compositions were determined by chemical analysis, paper chromatography, potentiometric analysis, thermogravimetric and differential thermal analysis and infra-red spectrophotometry; final crystallite morphologies and sizes were studied by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray powder diffraction. Nucleation rates and nucleus numbers (at the end of the induction periods) were very high; crystal numbers varied from 10¹⁴ to 10¹⁵ at the critical concentrations to above 10¹⁷ per 1. solution. Crystal growth rates were also very high and varied as the fourth power of the initial metal salt concentration. High molecular-weight metal polymetaphosphate hydrates were precipitated from the more dilute solutions (0.001 to 0.025 M) while increasing amounts of the more soluble intermediate and low molecular-weight products were precipitated from the more concentrated solutions. Washing with cold water removed the tri- and tetralinear and cyclic phosphate products. The magnesium salts were not precipitated even from 3 M aqueous solutions. The precipitates from aqueous (NaPO₃(I))_n (n = 12) solutions had the compositions (BaP₂O₆ · 2.5 H₂O)₆, (SrP₂O₆ · 3 H₂O)_n and (CaP₂O₆ · 4 H₂O)_n while the magnesium salt precipitate from 20 percent aqueous acetone solution had the composition (MgP₂O₆ · 4 H₂O)_n, the precipitate n values varied from 19 to 13. The precipitates from aqueous (NaPO₃(II))_n (n = 20) solutions contained 0.5n to n additional adsorbed water molecules; these precipitate n values varied in turn from 40 to 26. The final precipitate powders consisted of ‘spherules’ of highly microcrystalline or amorphous polymer glass; the spherule diameters were about 0.2 μm at the critical concentrations and decreased to below 0.05 μm with increasing solution concentrations.     

The crystallisation of chromite-magnesiochromite spinels from a calcium magnesium aluminosilicate glass: Nucleation,crystal growth and final crystal sizes

The crystallisation of chromite-magnesiochromite spinels was studied from a calcium magnesium aluminosilicate glass (a simulated slag) containing 3 to 12 percent total iron oxides and 0.3 to 1.5 percent chromium(III) oxide, at temperatures from 1400° to 700 °C. – Spinel crystallisation occurred in glasses with 3–7 percent FeO and 0.7–1.1 percent Cr₂O₃. At temperatures 1100 °C and above, the nucleation was rapid and crystal numbers very high, at FeO contents above 3 percent and Cr₂O₃ contents above 0.7 percent; at 1056° and 1000 °C however, the crystal numbers reached some optimum values but then decreased as clinopyroxene crystals grew onto and enveloped the spinel microcrystals. In these glasses, the crystal lengths varied with growth time according to the relation, l_t = 2 k_g t^α = R_g1 t^α, where α = 0.7–1.0: this time dependence was a compromise between a relation for dendritic growth and one for facetted growth. The growth rates generally increased about five to seven times for 160 °C temperature rise: the energy of activation for the spinel crystal growth was then estimated as 180 ± 60 kJ mole⁻¹. – No spinel crystals were observed in glasses with more than 7 percent FeO content, only clinopyroxene crystals. Probably, these latter had nucleated rapidly and grown onto spinel microcrystals, while the spinel microcrystals were still of < 0.1 μm size.     

The precipitation of barium sulphate and chromate powders from aqueous solution with slow development of supersaturation. Crystal numbers and final crystal sizes

The precipitations of barium sulphate and chromate were studied by slow addition of anion to metal cation solution at 20°C, to give final equivalent metal salt solutions; the final solute concentrations (C_fin) were varied from 0.002 to 0.30 mol l⁻¹ while the rates (R) of addition of anion were varied from 10⁻⁴ to 10⁻² ion l⁻¹. At first, mainly heterogeneous nuclei formed continuously during induction periods; then, as the metal salt concentration in solution increased, homogeneous nucleation soon predominated. This second nucleation process probably attained its maximum rate when the metal salt concentration in solution reached its maximum value (C_max) and then probably terminated quite rapidly. Some further nuclei also formed during the growth process when crystal growth was prolonged. The final nucleus numbers (N), and thence the crystal numbers for slow precipitations from very dilute solutions were then rather higher than the number N ∞ (het) of heterogeneous nuclei in solution: nucleus numbers then increased with increasing mixing rate according to the relation, (where β = 0.7–0.9) (where β = 0.7–0.9). The final average crystal lengths of any precipitate were then 2 to 40 times the sizes noted for rapid precipitation from equivalent solutions of the same concentration: generally, final lengths varied with mixing rate according to the relation, .     

The coprecipitation of magnesium nickel hydroxide solid solutions from aqueous solution: Precipitate compositions and precipitation mechanisms

Magnesium nickel hydroxides (solid solutions) were coprecipitated from different mixed metal cation solutions (overall concentration 0.1 M) and from hydroxide solution (0.1 M). The course of different coprecipitations was monitored by potentiometric (pH) titrations. Final Coprecipitate compositions were determined by chemical analysis, infra-red spectrophotometry and thermal analysis. The ionic equilibria involved in different coprecipitations and the precipitation mechanisms are discussed.     

The precipitation of alkaline-earth metal and transition metal ‘oxinate’ powders from aqueous solution. Crystal numbers and final sizes

The precipitation of barium strontium, calcium, magnesium, zinc, cadmium and lead, manganese, cobalt, nickel and copper 8-quinolinolates (‘oxinates’) was studied from equivalent solutions, at pHs from 4.5 to 10, by optical microscopy: the metal cation and overall ‘oxinate’ with ‘oxine’ concentrations were varied from 0.0002 to 0.020 M (while the mean metal oxinate concentrations varied from 10⁻⁷ to 0.001 M). Crystal growth started after induction periods; the precipitations were heterogeneously nucleated at low supersaturations and homogeneously nucleated at medium to high supersaturations. The final precipitate crystal numbers depended on the number of nuclei formed during the induction periods. Crystal numbers at medium to high supersaturations increased with increasing initial metal oxinate concentration according to the relation, The final crystal lengths in this supersaturation range then decreased (from maximum values) with increasing initial mean metal oxinate concentration according to the relation, For precipitation from solutions of any concentration at any pH, smaller crystals were generally obtained in the precipitates from solutions of the metal oxinate of lower solubility.     

The precipitation of barium chromate from aqueous solution (with rapid mixing): Kinetics of the crystal growth

The kinetics of precipitation of barium chromate from well-stirred aqueous solutions of initial solute concentrations C₀ = 0.0001 to 0.0010 M (supersaturations 8 to 80) was studied at 25 °C by conductivity measurements and chemical analysis. Nucleation occurred during induction periods and regular crystal growth then took place onto the crystallites formed during the induction periods. The crystal growth was rate-controlled, in this range, by the rate of deposition of metal salt ions onto the growing crystal surfaces. This rate, at any time, then depended on both the overall surface area (A_t) and on the residual excess solute concentration (ΔC_t) in solution according to the relation, the growth rate expressed in terms of degree of crystallisation was then The rate constant (K_α) for the crystallisation of barium chromate at 25 °C was 1.5 10⁶ sec⁻¹ M⁻².     

The precipitation of barium-, strontium- and calcium molybdates from aqueous solution: Kinetics of the crystal growth

The kinetics of precipitation of barium, strontium and calcium molybdates, from supersaturated aqueous solutions of initial solute concentrations C₀ = 0.0004 to 0.003 M, C₀ = 0.002 to 0.015 M and C₀ = 0.1 to 0.06 M, respectively, were studied at 25° by conductivity measurements and chemical analysis. Nucleation occurred during induction periods and continuous crystal growth then took place onto the crystallites formed during the induction periods. The growth rates at any time were expressed, in terms of degree of crystallisation, by the relation . The rate constants (kα) for the crystal growth of barium, strontium and calcium molybdates at 25° were 7700, 200, and 8.7 sec⁻¹ M⁻², respectively.     

The precipitation of sparingly-soluble metal salts from aqueous solution: Heterogeneous nucleus numbers at low to intermediate supersaturation

The precipitation of series of alkaline-earth metal and transition hydroxides, sulphates, chromates and molybdates, hydrogen phosphate carbonates, oxalates and ‘oxinates’ were studied in aqueous solution of low to intermediate supersaturation. Heterogeneous nucleation probably occurred onto micro-crystalline particles of some siliceous mineral (of the trigonal, hexagonal or cubic system), dispersed in the solution. The heterogeneous nucleus numbers for these precipitations then depended on the rates of the heterogeneous nucleation onto these substrates and the rates of the mononuclear growth of nuclei to crystallites (during the induction periods). Generally, N_het values in polypropylene and glass beakers, at low supersaturation, varied from 10⁴ to 10¹³ dm⁻³: the N_het values then increased slightly with concentration and supersaturation according to the relation N_het = K_N^β, where K_N is a function of the metal salt surface energy and an ‘epitaxy’ factor; β = 0.4–0.5. In turn, at any supersaturation, log N_het = log N + Fσ, where N and F were constants for any precipitation: N_het values then increased from 10⁴ to 10⁸ times for increase in σ from 50 to 150 mJ m⁻². At any supersaturation and surface energy, N_het values increased in the order monoclinic < orthohombic < tetragonal < trigonal crystals.     

The nucleation and precipitation of nickel ammonium sulphate crystals from aqueous solution

A precipitation study has been made with nickel ammonium sulphate produced by mixing aqueous solutions of its constituent salts. Rates of nucleation, as indicated by the induction period, were measured for both agitated and non-agitated systems over the temperature range 0–35 °C. The nucleation rate increases with increases in agitation and temperature but supersaturation has the dominant effect, as predicted by classical nucleation theory. However, attempts to analyse the results in accordance with classical theory were not entirely successful, but it is shown how the assumption of (a) a variation of crystal surface energy with temperature and (b) the influence of heterogeneous nucleation can account for the discrepancies.     

The coprecipitation of magnesium hydroxide aluminium hydroxide powders from aqueous solution with sodium hydroxide: Precipitate compositions and coprecipitation mechanisms

Magnesium aluminium hydroxides were coprecipitated from different mixed metal cation solutions — at total C_M = 0.1 M and Mg/Al₂ ratios from 1 to 6 — with sodium hydroxide solution at ambient temperature, with different pre-ageing conditions for the aluminium hydroxide pre-precipitate. The coprecipitations were monitored by potentiometric (pH) titration and the final precipitate compositions were examined by chemical analysis, infrared spectrophotometry and thermal analysis. Magnesium hydroxide was coprecipitated onto completely recrystallised aluminium hydroxide as a simple mixture. Generally, with no to three days pre-ageing, microcrystalline aluminium hydroxide was first precipitated at pH about 4; this then partially redissolved on further addition of sodium hydroxide (to form hydroxoaluminate anion) and magnesium aluminium hydroxide coprecipitates were formed continuously at pHs from 8.0–8.7 to 12.0–12.5. Their compositions were similar to the magnesium hydroxoaluminate hydrates formed by direct precipitation from high pH sodium hydroxoaluminate solutions.      

The precipitation of magnesium hydroxoaluminate hydrate powders from sodium hydroxoaluminate solutions: Precipitate phases and precipitation mechanisms

Magnesium hydroxoaluminate hydrates were precipitated from different sodium hydroxoaluminate and hydroxoaluminate-hydroxide solutions at ambient temperature, at C_Al = 0.1 M, OH/Al ratios = 4–9 and XS OH/Al ratios = 1–6. The precipitations were monitored by potentiometric (pH) measurements while the final precipitate compositions were examined by chemical analysis, infra-red spectrophotometry and thermal analysis. At solution OH/Al ratio = 4, the main precipitate phase at 20°C was Mg(H₂O)_n[Al(OH)₄]₂ admixed with some Al(OH)₃; at solution OH/Al ratio = 5, the main phase was Mg₂(H₂O)₄[Al₂(OH)₁₀]; at solution OH/Al ratio = 7, the main phase was Mg₄(H₂O)_n(OH)₄[Al₂(OH)₁₀] while at solution OH/Al ratio = 9, the main phase was Mg₆(H₂O)_n(OH)₈[Al₂(OH)₁₀] admixed with some Mg(OH)₂. These hydrates were dehydrated at 60–100°C probably to the compounds Mg₂[Al₂O₃(OH)₄], Mg₄(OH)₄[Al₂O₃(OH)₄] and Mg₆(OH)₈[Al₂O₃(OH)₄], respectively.     

The role of fuzzy interfaces in the nucleation, growth and agglomeration of aluminum hydroxide in concentrated caustic solutions

Fundamental crystal growth theory relies on classical concepts of monomeric addition at step sites on crystal surfaces. The nucleation and growth of crystalline aluminium hydroxide from concentrated caustic solutions does not follow classical crystal growth mechanistic pathways. Numerous techniques including static and dynamic light scattering, small angle X-ray and neutron scattering, cryovitirification transmission electron microscopy, rheology and atomic force microscopy have been employed in the study of aluminium hydroxide crystallisation from concentrated caustic solutions. The observations from these techniques have been interpreted on the basis polymer crystal growth theory, thermodynamic phase inversions analysis and entropically driven insolubility.

The experimental observations can be interpreted on the basis that aluminium hydroxide nuclei and crystals are surrounded by a diffuse interface which grades in density from the crystalline aluminium hydroxide particle core to the surrounding solution. A mechanism for the nucleation and growth mechanisms of aluminium hydroxide has been proposed: initial solution formation of a loose polymeric network; clustering of this network followed by gradual densification to form amorphous nuclei; further densification of the core of the nuclei to form crystallites and gradual densification but not crystallisation of the still amorphous diffuse interface.

The presence of this diffuse interface enables the slow agglomeration behaviour of aluminium hydroxides particles in concentrated caustic liquors to be explained. In liquors of very high ionic strength (in this case up to 6 M NaOH) particulate agglomeration would be expected to be rapid due to the small double layer thickness as predicted by DLVO theory. During rapid growth the diffuse interface inhibits the sufficiently close approach of the dense part of the particles to the point where attractive inter-particulate van der Waals forces would dominate and agglomeration would take place. As supersaturation is depleted and the growth rate of the diffuse interface decreases but densification is still occurring the particles can approach more closely and agglomeration will occur. Thus it is probable that the observed agglomeration behaviour is supersaturation and growth rate related.     

Study of growth kinetics of ammonium oxalate monohydrate crystals from aqueous solutions

Experimental results of the dependence of linear growth rates of ammonium oxalate monohydrate [(NH₄)₂C₂O₄ · H₂O; AO] single crystals on solution supersaturation are presented. The AO crystals were grown by constant-temperature, constant-supersaturation method at 30 and 40 °C in the supersaturation range of 1–9%. It was observed that the supersaturation dependence of growth rates follows the parabolic growth law. Analysis of the supersaturation dependence of linear growth rates of AO crystals showed (1) that growth models involving surface diffusion and direct incorporation of growth units give kinetic parameters similar to those reported for other compounds grown from solutions, and (2) that the the BCF model of cooperating screw dislocations is also applicable. An inverse relationship between the estimated values of the length, L, of the line containing the dislocations and growth rate, R, and a direct relationship between L and interplanar distance, d_hkl, of the face {hkl} were found. Both these relationships are associated with the process of generation of screw dislocations in the growing layer.     

The coprecipitation of magnesium chromium hydroxide powders from aqueous solution: Precipitate compositions and coprecipitation mechanisms

Magnesium chromium (III) hydroxides were coprecipitated at ambient temperature from different mixed metal cation solutions — at C_Mtot = 0.1 M and Mg/Cr₂ ratios varying from 1 to 4 — with sodium hydroxide solution. The coprecipitations were monitored by potentiometric (pH) titration and the final precipitate compositions were examined by chemical analysis, i.r. spectrophotometry and thermal analysis. Generally, microcrystalline chromium(III) hydroxide was first precipitated at pH about 5; this material then redissolved on further addition of hydroxyl ion to form hydroxochromate(III) anion and magnesium chromium hydroxide coprecipitates were then formed continuously (at OH/Cr ratios from 4 to 10) at pHs from 9.5–10 to about 11. The coprecipitates from Mg/Cr₂ = 1 systems was predominately magnesium hydroxochromate hydrate. The coprecipitates from Mg/Cr₂ = 2 to 4 systems were mixture or solid solutions of magnesium hydroxochromate hydrate with increasing amounts of magnesium hydroxide. The ionic equilibria involved in different coprecipitations are discussed.