The Precipitation of Alkaline-Earth Metal Oxalate Powders from Aqueous Solution. Crystal Numbers and Final Sizes

The precipitation magnesium oxalate dihydrate, calcium oxalate monohydrate, strontium oxalate monohydrate and barium oxalate hemihydrate was studied from equivalent solutions of concentrations from 0.001 M to 0.5 M, at pHs from 7 to 6, by optical microscopy and other methods. Crystal growth started after induction periods: the precipitations were heterogeneously nucleated at low supersaturations and homogeneously nucleated at medium to high supersaturations. The crystal form and numbers of the final precipitates depended on the type and number of the nuclei (and crystallites) formed during the induction periods. Crystal numbers at medium to high supersaturation, increased with increasing initial mean metal oxalate concentrations according to the relation, N = N₁c; β was 5 for calcium oxalate precipitations and β was 6 for the other metal oxalate precipitations. The N₁ values increased in the order MgC₂O₄ · 2 H₂O < BaC₂O₄ · 1/2 H₂O < SrC₂O₄ · H₂O < CaC₂O₄ · H₂O. The final crystal lengths, in this supersaturation range, then decreased (from maximum values) with increasing initial concentrations according to the relation, l_fin = l₁/C_MOx^β, where γ was 1.3 to 1.6. For precipitations from solution of any concentration at any pH, smaller crystals were obtained in the precipitates of the metal oxalate of lower solubility.