The Kinetics and Mechanism of Formation of Calcium Sulfate Scale Minerals — The Influence of Inhibitors

Abstract

A seeded growth method has been used to study the kinetics of crystallization of calcium sulfate dihydrate at various temperatures and at ionic strengths up to 0.6M. Under all conditions, the rate of reaction is proportional to the square of the relative supersaturation and is controlled by a surface process. The same kinetics are applicable for the growth of calcium sulfate hemihydrate at temperatures above 110 C. The organic phosphonates effectively retard scale formation, and diethylenetriaminepenta (methylenephosphonic acid), when present at a concentration as low as 10−7M, completely inhibits the growth of calicum sulfate hemihydrate at 120 C. By assuming that the inhibitor molecules are adsorbed on growth sites on the surface of the crystals, the inhibition can be interpreted in terms of a simple Langmuir adsorption isotherm.