Chemical Engineering Research & Design, Vol.74, No.7, 797-802, 1996
Reactive Crystallization of Calcium-Phosphate
The reactive crystallization of calcium phosphate by equimolar calcium nitrate and potassium phosphate has been studied in batch and continuous systems at conditions of reaction temperature 25 or 50 degrees, and initial calcium or total phosphate concentration of 4.0 to 16.0 mmol dm(3). In the batch system at 25 degrees, the induction time, t(ind) [min], was correlated with the initial supersaturation of amorphous tricalcium phosphate (ACP), Ca-3(PO4)(2) . nH(2)O, beta(I,ACP), and the initial pH by the following equation : t(ind) = 1.52 x 10(-11) beta(I,ACP)(-0.337) pH(15.9) In the case of the addition of a single component in the whey, the lactalbumin exerted a great influence on the inhibition of the reactive crystallization of calcium phosphate. In the continuous system, the pH and the calcium concentration changed stepwise with the reaction time and the reactive crystallization of calcium phosphate showed remarkable morphological variations for the start-up of the continuous system. At the steady state, two different precipitation phases, that is, dicalcium phosphate dihydrate (DCPD), CaHPO4 . 2H(2)O, and octacalcium phosphate (OCP), Ca8H2(PO4)(6) . 5H(2)O, were obtained finally.