Influence of impurity ions and magnetic field on the properties of freshly precipitated calcium carbonate

Static magnetic field (MF) effects on the properties of freshly precipitated calcium carbonate have been investigated in the presence of impurity ion Mg^2+, Fe^2+, or SO4^2-. One or both solutions, CaCl2 and Na2CO3, were exposure to MF (0.5 T) for 20 min at 20°C. Then calcium carbonate was precipitated and zeta potential, pH and light absorbance ((lambda)= 543.3 nm) were measured. The same parameters were also determined for the reference systems in which the solutions were not MF-treated. It was found that in all the systems tested MF effects as determined by the above mentioned parameters had appeared. They depended on the kind of the impurity ion present, as well as on which solution, CaCl2, Na2CO3 or both, MF interacted. For example, if Mg^2+ ion was present in CaCl2 solution, the largest shift in the zeta potential toward higher positive values was observed if Na2CO3 was MF-treated (e.g. from 2 to 12 mV) and the same was true as for the maximum in the light absorbance and the pH increase. Interestingly, if (CaCl2+Mg^2+) was MF-treated pH of the slurry had decreased. Moreover, a correlation between above mentioned MF effects and the entropy of hydration of the ions has also been found. This points to the changes in the hydrating water structure caused by magnetic field.