Solvothermal recrystallization of α-calcium sulfate hemihydrate: Batch reactor experiments and kinetic modelling

Under appropriate temperature conditions, natural gypsum CaSO4·2H2O, dispersed in an aqueous solution, turns into calcium hemihydrate CaSO4·½H2O. This transformation is performed in a 2 L stirred baffled reactor, where the temperature increase is measured and controlled on line. The water content of the suspension and its size distribution are measured on samples during the transformation. Experiments are achieved at nominal temperature of 140 °C, with three initial solid mass fractions 0.5, 0.33 and 0.25. The transformation takes place through a dissolution followed by re-crystallization. A model is proposed which takes into account the size distribution of the particles of gypsum, their dissolution rate, primary and secondary nucleation and growth rates of calcium hemihydrate. The set of equations is solved with a MATLAB software, which allows to test the assumptions on the kinetics of the transformation and fit their parameters. A satisfying representation of the variations of the extent of transformation and of volume and surface mean diameters of the suspension is obtained.