Effect of pH and phosphate on calcium carbonate polymorphs precipitated at near-freezing temperature

The effects of pH and phosphate on the precipitation of calcium carbonate polymorphs from aqueous solution were investigated. Experiments were carried out at near-freezing temperature and two different pH conditions (pH 13.4 and 9.0). At each pH condition, solutions having different concentrations of CaCl₂ and NaHCO₃ were mixed to achieve Ca/CO₃ ratios of 1:1 and 10:1 at different pumping rates with and without phosphate. Results showed that, at pH 13.4, only ikaite was formed, independent of pumping rate, Ca/CO₃ ratio, and phosphate. At pH 9.0, the precipitate was predominantly vaterite in the absence of phosphate and ikaite in the presence of phosphate regardless of the ratio of Ca/CO₃. These results indicate that at low temperatures and moderate alkaline conditions (pH 9.0), phosphate can act as a switch between ikaite and vaterite polymorphs. Contrastingly, at higher alkaline conditions (pH 13.4) phosphate is not prerequisite and the high pH in itself is enough to trigger ikaite formation over vaterite.