Canadian Journal of Chemical Engineering, Vol.72, No.1, 64-71, 1994
Online Determination of Supersaturation of a KCl-NaCl Aqueous-Solution Based on Density-Measurement
A method is developed for the calculation of the saturation temperature of a KCl-NaCl aqueous solution, based on the measurement of the density and temperature of a sample solution, and prior knowledge of the NaCl concentration. Experimental density and solubility data for solutions saturated with KCl in the temperature range of 299 to 321 K with concentrations of NaCl greater than 0.200 kg/kg H2O were used to develop the empirical correlation allowing the calculation of the solution saturation level. The method is applicable in the on-line determination of the level of supersaturation in a KCl crystallizer in which the NaCl concentration is known. Knowledge of the prevailing supersaturation is necessary for the control of crystal purity and crystal size distribution in industrial potash crystallizers.