Crystallization in acidic media: from nanoparticles to macrocrystals
Crystallization in acidic media obeys the same rules and physico-chemical principles than in any other aqueous solution. However, the composition (mineralogy), particle size and crystallinity of the solids formed in these low pH systems are strongly determined by (i) the singular water chemistr y of...
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| Format: | article |
| Publication Date: | 2017 |
| Country: | España |
| Institution: | Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) |
| Repository: | DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:digital.csic.es:10261/277186 |
| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/10261/277186 |
| Access Level: | Open access |
| Keyword: | sulfates sulfides Nanoparticles crystal growth kinetics mineral solubility acidic waters |
| Summary: | Crystallization in acidic media obeys the same rules and physico-chemical principles than in any other aqueous solution. However, the composition (mineralogy), particle size and crystallinity of the solids formed in these low pH systems are strongly determined by (i) the singular water chemistr y of the parent acidic solutions (highly concentrated, with presence of many dissolved metals, and usually dominated by the sulfate anion, SO42-), and (ii) the highly variable environmental conditions prevailing in the crystallization media (which may range from ver y fast to slow precipitation kinetics, from strong oversaturation to near solubility equilibrium, or from high to low density of nucleation centres). The most common mineral groups formed in acidic waters (e.g., acid mine waters, acid rock drainage) are usually metal sulfates, oxy-hydroxysulfates and sulfides, which expand largely in size (from nano-par ticles with diameters < 100 nm to large crystals of mm- to cm-scale) and crystalline order (nearly amorphous or short-range ordered to highly crystalline). |
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