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Drying of Sodium Sulfate Decahydrate (Na2SO 4 10H2O)
Drying of Sodium Sulfate Decahydrate (Na2SO 4 10H2O)
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ABSTRACT: The anhydrous sodium sulfate (Na 2 SO 4 ) is produced from the sodium sulfate decahydrate also
called mirabilite (Na2 SO4 ·10H2 O) by removing its crystal water. This provides advantages in reducing the
transportation costs and in uses in industry. Mirabilite starts to dissolve in its crystal water (i.e. crystal structure
decomposes and starts to release its crystal water) above 32.4 0C. In industrial applications, to dry off the crystal
water, sodium sulfate decahydrate is heated in steam tube rotary or fluidized bed dryers with air above about
150ºC. However, drying in rotary dryers is slow due to limitations in mixing and low gas temperatures.
Fluidized bed dryers cause dusting and powder formation as a result of attrition caused by collision of particles in
the bed.
In this investigation, microwave energy has been considered as an alternative approach to solve the problems
with current drying processes. With this alternative dehydration process, anhydrous sodium sulfate (Na 2 SO 4 ) has
been produced successfully from the sodium sulfate decahydrate with no damage to the sodium sulfate crystals.
Comparative results of dehydration of sodium sulfate decahydrate in the oven and with microwave energy will be
presented as well.
2 EXPERIMENTAL
In this study, batch conventional drying
experiements were performed using a thermostatic
stagnant air oven (Nuve, FN 500). It was operated
at different temperature levels of 100, 150, and
200°C. In addition, a domestic microwave oven
(Premier, PMO-20) with a maximum output power
of 800 W at 2450 MHz and six different microwave
output powers of 136, 168, 264, 440, 616 and 800 W
was used for the drying experiments.
In the experiments, the used sodium sulfate
decahydrate (containing 55.91 w% H 2 O, 44.09 w%
Na 2 SO 4 ) with 0.5 w% free water was obtained from
Figure 1. Simplified flowsheet of the Na 2 SO 4 Alkim Alkali Kimya Anonim Sirketi. The
production process dehydration experiments were performed with 12.5,
25, and 50 g samples. A new sample was used at
each microwave output power selected for drying.
Drying techniques are cornerstones of many The amount of water removal from the samples
industrial applications and also have undergone was calculated from the decrease in weight during
dramatic developments over the last 30 years. In heat treatment. Each experiment was performed in
recent years, microwave drying is recognized as triplicate according to a preset microwave output
having a demonstrated potential for the removal of power and time schedule. Moisture loss was
water from the industrial products, such as recorded by taking 10 grams of samples from the
agricultural, chemical, mineral processing and food microwave and placing them in the desiccator for an
product, textile, paper, lumber and many more hour.
(Jones, 1992; Khraisheh et al., 1997; Kingman and The temperature of the irradiated sample was
Rowson, 1998). measured by inserting a K-thermocouple (Hanna
Microwave heating occurs somewhat differently instruments, model HI 93551) into the sample
from conventional heating. MWs propagate through immediately after turning of the microwave power.
the materials and the accompanying transport An average bulk surface temperature of each sample
processes result in dissipation of electric energy into was reported in this study. Although microwaves
heat, which lead to the term ‘volumetric heat directly heat the moisture in the samples instead of
generation’ due to MW radiations (Jones, 1992). sodium sulfate powder which is transparent to
Volumetric power absorption and the rate of heat microwaves, it is not possible to conveniently
generation depends upon the intensity and frequency measure the temperature of the water only. It is
of the field as well as on the dielectric properties of highly likely, that the moisture in the sample
the material. MWs are widely preferred over acquired significantly higher ‘peak’ temperatures,
conventional heating mainly for shorter processing especially at the higher output power rates.
times. During conventional heating the heat is The thermocouple was calibrated using a mercury
radiated from the burner to the surface of the thermometer and a thermostatic water bath at
material and the material is heated due to surface different water temperatures.
heat flux whereas during MW heating, the material
3 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION and transport of water. A maximum surface
Sodium sulfate decahydrate powder containing temperature of about 850C was measured during
about 0.5% surface moisture was dried in the drying of samples. The final surface temperatures of
conventional oven at three different temperatures the samples when all the water was removed were
and in the microwave ovens at three different energy about 420C at different microwave powers.
levels. Drying of the sodium sulfate decahydrate is
dictated by the rate of moisture removal and the rate 60
of sodium sulfate decahydrate conversion to sodium
sulfate anhydrate. 50 136 W
440 W
Moisture, %
3.1 Hot air drying 40 800 W
50
100oC 100
Moisture, %
40 150oC 136 W
200oC 80 440 W
Temperature, C
800 W
0
30
60
20
10
40
0 20
0 100 200 300 400 500
50 g
2000C 120
60 Microwave oven
136 W 25
40 440 W 7
800 W 5
20
5 REFERENCES
Basak, T., Priya, A. S., Role of metallic and ceramic
supports on enhanced microwave heating
processes. Chemical Engineering Science 60,
2661–2677 (2005).
Civelekoglu, H., Tolun, R., and Bulutcu, N.,
Inorganic Technologies, ITU Vakfı, Book