Precipitation of Spherical Vaterite Particles via Carbonation Route in the Bubble Column and the Gas-Lift Reactor

Spherical vaterite particles were produced by carbonation of calcium chloride solution with addition of ammonia to facilitate CO2 absorption. Synthesis of calcium carbonate was carried out in a bubble column or gas-lift reactor. The course of the reaction was monitored by pH measurements. Precipitated solids were analyzed by Fourier-transformed infrared spectroscopy, x-ray powder diffraction and scanning electron microscopy, and the particle size distribution was determined by a laser diffraction method. Synthesized calcium carbonate products were mainly vaterite. The calcium chloride concentration and carbon dioxide volume fraction in a gas phase had the main impact on the size of the produced particles in both reactors. A slight decrease in the mean particle size was observed for the highest mixing intensity. Both tested reactors can be applied to produce vaterite particles, although formation of homogeneous non-agglomerated spherical particles in a gas-lift reactor required careful selection of the process parameters.