Abstract
Eutectic freeze crystallization (EFC) separates aqueous inorganic solutions into pure water and pure salt. By operating at the eutectic point, ice and salt can be formed simultaneously as two separate phases. Two aqueous systems were investigated in batch and continuous crystallization experiments: copper sulfate (eutectic temperature 271 K) and mono-ammonium phosphate (269 K). Below the eutectic temperature, ice can be formed without any salt formation by seeding with ice seeds and solely salt is formed by seeding with salt crystals. When however, the solution is seeded with both salt and ice crystals, two distinct solid phases are formed: when the stirrer is turned off, ice rises and salt settles. This shows that EFC separates aqueous solutions into ice and salt as two distinct phases. Based on these results, a 15 l cooled disk column crystallizer (CDCC) has been built, designed to crystallize and separate both the solids simultaneously in a single apparatus.