Kinetic model of the dissolution process of a zirconium white frit. Influence of the temperature

Abstract

The dissolution of a zirconium white frit has been studied in order to know the kinetics of the process. The concentrations of five cations (Ca, Mg, Zn, Si and B) have been determined by ICP-OES after carrying out the solubility process of the frit at several temperatures. These concentrations and some characteristics of the frit (chemical composition, density, etc.) have been used to propose a kinetic model of the frit dissolution process. The proposed kinetic model considers that almost the whole dissolution process is controlled by the diffusion of cations from the inside of the frit particles to the solid–liquid interface except at initial instants in which is controlled by the chemical reaction between water and the cations in the frit particles surface. The proposed kinetic model has been validated by performing an experiment at an intermediate temperature and it has been proven that the model reproduces the experimental data.