DETERMINATION OF DIFFUSION COEFFICIENT OF THE TURKISH TRONA IN WATER

Abstract

Laboratory experiments were conducted to measure the diffusion coefficient of the Turkish trona in water. A rapid and inexpensive method was used for measuring the diffusion coefficient. The procedure consists essentially of soaking a porous disc in the solution of interest and then suspending the disc over a bath of pure water. The rate of diffusion of trona solution from the disc is then ascertained by measuring the apparent weight of the suspended disc at various times. The rate of change of the apparent weight is directly related to the loss of solute and hence to the diffusion coefficient of the trona. The diffusion coefficient of trona from solutions of various concentrations was measured and a linear relationship was found between diffusion coefficient and trona solution concentration. The average value of diffusion coefficient of trona was calculated to be 1.194 10−5 cm2/sec at 25°C.