Thermodynamics of solution of gypsum and anhydrite in water over a wide temperature range
The solubility of calcium sulphate in water at different temperatures is important for the description of chemical processes occurring in heat exchangers as well as in geothermal processes. Great discrepancies have been reported between experimental and predicted solubilities at high temperature and the transition temperature for the phase transition process (gypsum → anhydrite) is ill-defined.We have analyzed the available data for the solubility of calcium sulphate in water with no added electrolyte. Ion-pairing has been taken into account to calculate the standard thermodynamic properties of the solution process.It is found that the solubility data for gypsum and anhydrite are thermodynamically very consistent. It is possible to obtain the thermodynamic properties of the phase transition from solution data and, at 298.15 K and 101.325 kPa, they are in very good agreement with reported values from measurements with the pure phases. The transition temperature is calculated to be 315.7 ± 0.4 K.It is also shown that the experimental data agree with values predicted for high temperature by employing well-established methods of calculation of solution thermodynamic properties (e.g., principles of correspondence and of constant charge).