Morphologic analysis of particulate material obtained from the cocrystallization of sodium chloride and calcium sulphate

• Grant number: 14/14018-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: August 01, 2014
• End date: July 31, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Chemical Engineering - Industrial Operations and Equipment for Chemical Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Marcelo Martins Seckler
• Grantee: Alexandre Augusto Carrusca
• Host Institution: Escola Politécnica (EP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The raising shortage of hydric resources - very visible at begining of 2014 in Brazil - has a direct impact on oil refineries, which are responsible for large amounts of consumed water and generated wastewater. Within this context, it's vital to analyze the options for water reuse in the process, searching for a zero liquid discharge. Therefore, it's necessary the use of evaporative crystallization from aqueous solutions containing a mixture of insoluble and soluble salts. In this project, the cocrystallization of sodium chloride (NaCl) and calcium sulfate dihydrate (CaSO4.2H2O) will be considered. The process will be studied analyzing the rate and temperature of crystallization, the phase sequence to crystallize, the quantity and size of the seeds. The morphology and granulometry of the simultaneously crystallized salts will be analyzed both qualitatively and quantitatively. (AU)