Study of the reaction CaSO₄.½H₂O (β-hemihydrate) = CaSO₄ (β-soluble anhydrite)+½H₂O in the temperature range 20–100° C

Summary

A thermogravimetric vacuum microbalance has been used to study the reaction between β-soluble anhydrite and water vapour in the temperature range 20–100° C. Equilibrium water-vapour pressures for the hydration reaction in this temperature range were determined directly and have been compared with available data obtained by Kelly, Southard, and Anderson (1941) in the temperature range 80–120° C. The kinetics of the hydration and dehydration reactions have also been studied in a series of isothermal experiments with varying water-vapour pressure. These experiments indicate that in a vapour-pressure range close to the equilibrium value very low rates for both hydration and dehydration are observed. Outside this range of vapour pressures both hydration and dehydration rates increase suddenly and show an approximately linear increase with imposed water-vapour pressure.

At low temperatures (25° C) the dehydration reaction has an associated activation energy of approximately 10 kcal mole⁻¹. In the same temperature range additional, physical adsorption of water vapour by the specimen was noted.