Emna Melliti, Alma Mejri and Hamza Elfil
Desalination and Natural Water Valorization Laboratory (LaDVEN), Water Researches and Technologies Center (CERTE), Soliman, Tunisia

Chapter DOI: 10.52305/VJZP3842
Part of the Book: Advances in Environmental Research. Volume 92

Abstract

Nowadays, calcium sulfates are attracting widespread interest due to their exceptional proprieties including easy fabrication, low cost, environmental friendless, and low thermal conductivity. Especially, gypsum is extracted extensively for use as a crucial component in plaster and cement industries, as well as food and agriculture sectors. However, calcium sulfates could cause major damages in several industrial processes that rely on water-handling systems such as water desalination, oil and gas production, etc. In fact, the precipitation of calcium sulfate phases leads to the deposition of undesired solids in pipes, filters, membranes, and heat exchangers, thus forming mineral scales. The removing or cleaning process of the formed scale is extremely expensive and affects the efficiency and lifetime of separation technologies. In this context, the foremost aim of this chapter is to review the current state of knowledge on the formation approaches (nucleation, crystal growth…) and the properties of calcium sulfates. Furthermore, the problems of calcium sulfate scale and methods of its inhibition are discussed. To give the reader clearer vision, calcium sulfate application fields have been described in this work.

Keywords: calcium sulfates, nucleation, crystal growth, solubility, diagram phases, precipitation water treatment, cement, plasters

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