A thermodynamic model for the prediction of phase equilibria and speciation in the H 2O–CO 2–NaCl–CaCO 3–CaSO 4 system from 0 to 250 °C, 1 to 1000 bar with NaCl concentrations up to halite saturation

Abstract

A thermodynamic model is developed for the calculation of both phase and speciation equilibrium in the H 2O–CO 2–NaCl–CaCO 3–CaSO 4 system from 0 to 250 °C, and from 1 to 1000 bar with NaCl concentrations up to the saturation of halite. The vapor–liquid–solid (calcite, gypsum, anhydrite and halite) equilibrium together with the chemical equilibrium of H + , Na + , Ca 2 + , CaHCO 3 + , Ca ( OH ) + , OH - , Cl - , HCO 3 - , HSO 4 - , SO 4 2 - , CO 3 2 - , CO 2 ( aq ) , CaCO 3 ( aq ) and CaSO 4(aq) in the aqueous liquid phase as a function of temperature, pressure and salt concentrations can be calculated with accuracy close to the experimental results. Based on this model validated from experimental data, it can be seen that temperature, pressure and salinity all have significant effects on pH, alkalinity and speciations of aqueous solutions and on the solubility of calcite, halite, anhydrite and gypsum. The solubility of anhydrite and gypsum will decrease as temperature increases (e.g. the solubility will decrease by 90% from 360 K to 460 K). The increase of pressure may increase the solubility of sulphate minerals (e.g. gypsum solubility increases by about 20–40% from vapor pressure to 600 bar). Addition of NaCl to the solution may increase mineral solubility up to about 3 molality of NaCl, adding more NaCl beyond that may slightly decrease its solubility. Dissolved CO 2 in solution may decrease the solubility of minerals. The influence of dissolved calcite on the solubility of gypsum and anhydrite can be ignored, but dissolved gypsum or anhydrite has a big influence on the calcite solubility. Online calculation is made available on www.geochem-model.org/model.