Kinetic model for calcium sulfate alpha-hemihydrate produced hydrothermally from gypsum formed by flue gas desulfurization

Modeling of the kinetics of the synthesis process for calcium sulfate alpha-hemihydrate from gypsum formed by flue gas desulfurization (FGD) is important to produce high-performance products with minimal costs and production cycles under hydrothermal conditions. In this study, a model was established by horizontally translating the obtained crystal size distribution (CSD) to the CSD of the stable phase during the transformation process. A simple method was used to obtain the nucleation and growth rates. A nonlinear optimization algorithm method was employed to determine the kinetic parameters. The model can be successfully used to analyze the transformation kinetics of FGD gypsum to alpha-hemihydrate in an isothermal batch crystallizer. The results showed that the transformation temperature and stirring speed exhibit a significant influence on the crystal growth and nucleation rates of alpha-hemihydrate, thus altering the transformation time and CSD of the final products. The characteristics obtained by the proposed model can potentially be used in the production of alpha-hemihydrate.