Crystal growth kinetics of iron fluoride trihydrate

Crystal growth of beta-FeF3 center dot 3H(2)O has been investigated in mixtures of 3 mol kg(-1) hydrofluoric acid and 3 mol kg(-1) nitric acid at 30, 40 and 50 degrees C. Seeded isothermal desupersaturation experiments have been performed in the range: 1.3 < S < 3.6. Solution samples were analysed for total iron concentration with inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy. The true supersaturation driving force was estimated by a proper speciation using the software SSPEC using appropriate stability constants. Growth rate parameters of the BCF surface diffusion growth rate equation and the empirical power-law equation have been estimated by fitting the supersaturation balance equation using a nonlinear optimization procedure. The results show that the growth rate is surface integration controlled. The growth rate at a supersaturation ratio of 2 was found to be 3.5 x 10(-12) m s(-1) at 30 degrees C, 7.4 x 10(-12) m s(-1) at 40 degrees C and 16 x 10(-12) m s(-1) at 50 degrees C. The activation energy of the rate constant of crystal growth was found to be 61 kJ mol(-1). (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.