Formation Process and Thermodynamic Poperties of Calcite

The fast mixing of aqueous solutions of calcium chloride and sodium carbonate resulted in crystalline forms of vaterite and calcite under vigorous stirring. Then, the vaterite was transformed to pure calcite within about 180 min. The crystalline forms all grew with experimental time increase. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and X-ray diffraction spectroscopy (XRD) techniques were employed to characterize the as-prepared samples. The heat capacity of the stable as-synthesized calcite was determined by means of an adiabatic calorimeter from 80 to 390 K. The thermodynamic functions of the calcite were derived based on the relationships among the thermodynamic functions and the function of the measured heat capacity with respect to temperature.