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On the influence of sodium alginate on struvite crystal morphology

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Abstract

Struvite or magnesium ammonium phosphate hexahydrate (H16MgNO10P) was synthesized in the presence of sodium alginate to determine the impact of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) on struvite formation. Bulk crystallization of struvite at a 1.3:1:1 molar ratio of Mg:N:P, respectively, showed that in the presence of increasing sodium alginate concentration, struvite crystal habit changed from prismatic to plate-like twinned morphology. A possible mechanism of the adsorption of sodium alginate at [001]cc facets of struvite is proposed.

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Acknowledgments

This research work acknowledges the Department of Science Engineering Research and Development for Technology (DOST-ERDT) for the financial assistance. It also acknowledges the Chemical Engineering Analytical Laboratory (CEAL), Department of Chemical Engineering, University of the Philippines Diliman, Quezon City, for the SEM, FTIR and IC training. The Crystallization and Bio-Inspired Engineering Group (CBEG) under the Bioprocess Engineering Laboratory is acknowledged for technical support and for the equipment used during the experiment.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of the Philippines Diliman, Diliman, 1101, Quezon City, Philippines

    Isaac Jerome C. Dela Cruz & Bryan G. Alamani

  2. Environmental Engineering Program, College of Engineering, University of the Philippines Diliman, Diliman, 1101, Quezon City, Philippines

    Don Nelson C. Potato

Authors
  1. Isaac Jerome C. Dela Cruz
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  2. Don Nelson C. Potato
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  3. Bryan G. Alamani
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Correspondence to Bryan G. Alamani.

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Cruz, I.J.C.D., Potato, D.N.C. & Alamani, B.G. On the influence of sodium alginate on struvite crystal morphology. MRS Communications 13, 641–646 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1557/s43579-023-00406-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1557/s43579-023-00406-6

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