Thermodynamics and kinetics of evaporative crystallization of sodium gluconate.

Thermodynamic properties of sodium gluconate (SG) aqueous solution have been measured over the 303.15–343.15 K temperature range including solubility, density, and viscosity. For proper crystallization of SG, the kinetics of evaporative crystallization with spontaneous nucleation was subsequently investigated in a semi-batch mode. The crystals present a size-dependent growth rate, and the number particle size distribution (PSD) data were well fitted with the MJ2 model. The effects of supersaturation, suspension density, and agitation intensity were carefully analyzed to contribute to a better understanding for the control of crystal size of SG. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]