Kinetics of calcium carbonate precipitation through CO2 absorption from flue gas into distiller waste of soda ash plant

Kinetics of CaCO3 precipitation by CO2 absorption from flue gas into distiller waste of soda ash plant was investigated by minimizing the differences between the model predictions and experimental data through a method of genetic algorithm. A population balance equation coupled with a mass balance equation was used to model CaCO3 precipitation. These model equations were solved using the numerical method of Crank-Nicolson. Impurities in distiller waste and different concentrations of CO2 in synthetic flue gas were found to be influential in mechanisms of nucleation, growth and agglomeration of CaCO3 precipitates. The impurities increased the agglomeration but reduced the nucleation and growth rates. (C) 2014 The Korean Society of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.