Thermodynamic model of the hydration reaction of hemihydrate phosphogypsum based on the temperature effect

Abstract

Hemihydrate phosphogypsum (HPG), as a cementing material for mine filling, will spontaneously transform into phosphogypsum (PG) in the stockpiling state. The gelling activity decreases, and meeting the requirements of mechanical properties required for long-distance mine filling becomes difficult. The key measure in expanding the industrial application radius of HPG as a filling cementitious material is the prevention of the spontaneous conversion of HPG to PG. In-depth research on the conversion process of HPG in the storage state is required to achieve a breakthrough in the HPG resource utilization technology. In the storage process, the HPG chemical reaction will release the heat of hydration, causing the temperature and chemical fields in the system to interact with each other and promote the conversion of HPG to PG. Therefore, the HPG hydration heat release process is accurately calculated, analyzed, and simulated. This is a prerequisite to effectively inhibit the conversion of HPG. This article seeks a model of the heat release of the HPG hydration reaction during the storage process to understand the change of its gelation performance and guide on-site industrial applications. The monitoring of the free water mass fraction and the temperature of HPG stacks with initial temperatures of 35 °C, 40 °C, 60 °C, and 80 °C reveals that the HPG free water mass fraction change law conforms to the first-order reaction kinetic model. Based on thermodynamics and chemical reaction kinetics, a thermal kinetic model of the HPG hydration reaction on the relationship between the storage temperature and time is proposed. Using the COMSOL Multiphysics numerical simulation software, the HPG hydration reaction thermokinetic equation was then embedded in the heat transfer and ODE modules, and the HPG reactor temperature was numerically simulated. The simulated reactor temperature curve was more consistent with experimental results, and the reliability of the proposed model was verified. This model can provide guidance for the later design of the delaying HPG conversion plan and has very important practical significance for the promotion and application of HPG.

Keywords

• hemihydrate phosphogypsum
• initial storage temperature
• free water mass fraction
• first-order reaction kinetics
• thermodynamics
• numerical simulation