The mechanism of phase transformation of CaSO4.2H(2)O to CaSO4.0.5H(2)O has been studied for separate crystals of inductrial samples [calcium sulfate dihydrate and wet-process phosphoric acid (WPA) were from Khibiny apatite concentrate] under close to industrial conditions (25% P2O5, 9-15% H2SO4; t = 90-95 degrees C). Phase transformation predominantly proceeds by a solid-phase relay mechanism without a phase-transformation front.
The kinetics and mechanism of conversion of crystalline CaSO4.2H2O (DH) into CaSO4 . 0.5H2O (SH) have been studied on samples of analytically pure grade under near-industrial conditions (18-27% P2O5, 4-12% SO3, t = 90-97-degrees-C). The methods developed for effectively controlling the conversion rate of DH into SH have an impact on the initial step (induction period) through an impulse alteration of the solution composition and temperature and through seeding with SH crystals.
The transformation of separate crystals of CaSO4.2H2O (DH) into CaSO4.0.5H2O (HH) in an aqueous solution of H3PO4 and H2SO4 at 90-97-degrees-C was studied using a JSM-35CF SEM. The source DH and acids were reagent or commercial (taken from the production of H3PO4 by a wet process). DH was allowed to convert into HH and periodic samples of the suspension were drawn, filtered, and investigated in the solid phase by SEM. It was shown that the dehydration of reagent DH specimens occurred through the recrystallization mechanism, whereas the transformation of commercial DH into HH was basically topochemical and developed by a relay race mechanism without any phase transformation front. The observed difference between commercial and reagent DH specimens may be explained by differences in their crystalline structure, initial particle size and by the presence of impurities in DH and acids. It is established that chemical impurities can change the mechanism of the phase transformation of the crystals DH into HH.