Studies on the dehydration and decomposition of calcium and dicalcium magnesium aconitate hydrates

The thermal decomposition of calcium and dicalcium magnesium aconitate hydrates were studied by TG/DTG, DTA, EGA, SEM and other physico-chemical techniques. The decomposition proceeds in four stages: dehydration; oxidation of the carboxylic acid portion of the salt; complete fragmentation of the hydrocarbon portion; and finally, decarboxylation of the metal carbonate to the oxide. The crystal morphologies of the hydrate and anhydrous salts of each compound are very similar. Tricalcium aconitate consists of well-developed twinned crystals and stellate clusters intergrown with flat platy crystals. On the other hand, dicalcium magnesium aconitate crystals are monoclinic with well-developed pinacoidal faces. The activation energy, Ed (43±2 kJ mol-1 water), calculated from Borchardt and Daniels' method, for the dehydration process of calcium aconitate trihydrate is of the same order of magnitude as some simple metal salt hydrates. The rate constant, kd increased from 0.04/min at 238°C to greater than 0.86/min at 295°C. It is concluded that the dehydration process is due to cation bound water.