The phase equilibria of aqueous ternary systems NH4Cl
+ CaCl2 + H2O and NH4Cl + MgCl2 + H2O at 308.2 K were measured by the isothermal
dissolution method, and the solubility, density, and refractive index
were determined experimentally. The stable phase diagrams and the
diagrams of density/refractive index versus composition of these two
ternary systems are plotted. The results show that both these systems
at 308.2 K are complex systems, with the formation of double salts
2NH4Cl·CaCl2·3H2O and NH4Cl·MgCl2·6H2O, respectively.
The multitemperature phase diagrams of the ternary systems NH4Cl + CaCl2 + H2O at (273.2, 298.2, 308.2,
323.2, and 348.2 K) and NH4Cl + MgCl2 + H2O at (273.2, 298.2, 308.2, and 323.2 K) are compared, respectively.
The results show that within the temperature range discussed, the
double salt NH4Cl·MgCl2·6H2O is formed, and the double salt 2NH4Cl·CaCl2·3H2O is only formed at 308.2, 323.2, and
348.2 K. The crystallization areas of 2NH4Cl·CaCl2·3H2O and NH4Cl·MgCl2·6H2O gradually increase with increasing temperature.
Thus, the increasing temperature is conducive to the separation of
calcium or magnesium from these two systems in the form of 2NH4Cl·CaCl2·3H2O or NH4Cl·MgCl2·6H2O. The interaction relationship
between the ions of the system NH4Cl + CaCl2 + H2O becomes simpler at 273.2–298.2 K, which
is more beneficial to the precipitation of single salts. When the
temperature reaches 323.2 K, NH4Cl·MgCl2·6H2O precipitates into a more stable salt of commensurate
type. Meanwhile, the thermodynamic calculations of these two systems
at 308.2 K were fitted by the Pitzer–Simonson–Clegg
model, and the predicted values agree well with the experimental values.