Factors affecting the crystal growth of scalenohedral calcite by a carbonation process

Abstract

In the present work, we report a novel microstructure of scalenohedral calcite synthesized without any additives by a simple and ecofriendly carbonation process carried out in a liquid-gas system as well as the effects of experimental conditions on the crystal growth of the scalenohedral calcite phase. Various process parameters, pH, temperature, Ca(OH)2 concentration, CO2 flow rates, and the total volume concentration, were investigated to enhance the sensitivity of the process. The highest average length of the scalenohedral calcite was obtained at pH 6.0, temperature of 450C, Ca(OH)2 concentration of 0.2M, CO2 flow rate of 80mL/min, and total volume of 1L. The synthesized calcite was characterized by XRD, SEM, and FTIR to identify the phases and surface morphology.