Abstract
In order to apply a seeding method using silica gel to silica removal from geothermal brines, the effects of the seed particle diameter, initial specific surface area and initial pore diameter on silica removal are experimentally examined using a model geothermal brine. The silica in the brine is precipitated on the internal surface area of pore in the silica gel seeds. The specific surface area of the seed decreases with increasing quantity of precipitated silica. The effects of the particle diameter on the quantity of the final precipitated silica and on the final specific surface area are hardly seen. The quantity of precipitated silica per unit surface area increases with increasing initial pore diameter, and the silica precipitation rate coefficient increases with decreasing particle diameter and with increasing initial pore diameter. When the quanttty of precipitated silica is small, the silica precipitation rate coefficient is proportional to the -0.72 power of the particle diameter.
