The inhibitory effects of carboxymethyl inulin on the seeded growth of calcium carbonate

Kinetics of precipitation of calcite (CaCO3) from aqueous solution in the presence of carboxymethyl inulin (CMI) was investigated under strictly controlled temperature, pH, supersaturation ratio (S = 4.8) and ionic strength (I= 0.1 M). The highly reproducible constant composition technique was used to study the influence of biopolymers of crystal growth of CaCO3. on CaCO3 seed crystals at pH 8.5 and 25 degrees C. The crystal growth of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) was inhibited in the presence of CMI at low concentration (2.5 x 10(-9) to 25 x 10(-9) mol/L). The larger number of negatively charged functional groups exhibited a 95% growth rate inhibition at a concentration of 15 x 10(-9) mol/L.The higher inhibition efficiency is related to the maximum surface charge density due to adsorbed polymer. (C) 2011 Elsevier BA/. All rights reserved.