The dehydration kinetics of gypsum at high pressure and high temperature

An in situ dehydration kinetics study of gypsum under water-saturated condition was performed in the temperature and pressure ranges of 383–423?K and 343–1085?MPa by using a hydrothermal diamond anvil cell and Raman spectroscopy. Kinetic analysis shows that the dehydration rate k increases with pressure, suggesting a negative pressure dependence on dehydration rate. The elevation of temperature can contribute to the dehydration. The n values increase with pressure, indicating that the nucleation process becomes slower relative to the growth process. According to the n values of ～1.0, the dehydration of gypsum is dominated by an instantaneous nucleation and diffusion-controlled growth mechanism. The obtained average activation volume ?V is equal to 5.69?cm³/mol and the calculated activation energy E_a and the pre-exponential factor A are 66.9?kJ/mol and 4.66?×?10⁵?s^?1. The activation energy may be dependent upon grain size, shape, temperature and pressure, and surrounding water.