Growth and characterization of Struvite‐K crystals

Abstract

Struvite-K is the natural potassium equivalent to Struvite. Struvite-K crystals were grown by single diffusion gel growth technique in silica hydro gel medium. Struvite-K crystals with different morphologies having transparent to translucent diaphaneity were grown with different growth parameters. The phenomenon of Liesegang rings was also observed with some particular growth parameters. The crystals were characterized by powder XRD, FT-IR, TGA and dielectric study. The powder XRD results of Struvite-K confirmed the orthorhombic crystal structure. The FT-IR spectrum proved the presence of water of hydration, metaloxygen bond and P -O bond. The TGA, DSC and DTA were carried out simultaneously. It was found that crystals started dehydrating and decomposing from 75 °C and finally at 600 °C temperature it became 64.14% of the original weight and remained almost constant up to the end of analysis. From the thermo-gravimetry, the numbers of the water molecules associated with the crystal were calculated and found to be 5. The kinetic and thermodynamic parameters of dehydration / decomposition process were calculated. The variation of dielectric constant with frequency of applied field was studied in the range from 400 Hz to 100 kHz, which exhibited the decreasing nature of the dielectric constant as frequency increased. The dielectric study showed that a.c. conductivity increased and consequently the a.c. resistivity decreased with the increase in frequency.

Inhibition of Struvite Crystal Growth in the Presence of Herbal ExtractOrthosiphon AristatusBL.MIQ

“…However, only a few studies have been conducted on the effects of herbs on the crystal growth of struvite as one of the main components of renal calculi. These herbs include Boerhaavia diffusa Linn, Commiphora wighti, Rotula aquatica Lour, and Citrus medica Linn (Chauhan, 2011). As far as the present authors know, the effects of OA leaves extract on the crystal growth and properties of struvite has not been examined.…”

“…This method enables a continuous observation of the crystal growth (Chauhan and Joshi, 2013;Chauhan, 2011;Rajendran and Keefe, 2010).…”

“…The gel selected for the growth medium was silica gel, since it has a number of favourable characteristics: it requires no other chemicals, irreversible, elastic, has a stable form, and does not react with the growing crystals (Chauhan, 2011).…”

“…Phosphate minerals, such as magnesium ammonium phosphate hexahydrate (MgNH4PO4.6H2O), mineralogically known as struvite, is one of the main components of the calculi. It was also reported that recurrence after treatment is relatively high (ElMahdy and Persad, 2014;Suguna et al, 2012;Chauhan, 2011;Miyaoka and Monga, 2009;Grohe et al, 2006).…”

“…The urinary calculi (= urinary stones, renal stones or kidney stones) may arise due to chemical activities within the body (Suguna et al, 2012;Chauhan, 2011). The condition favourable for the formation of the stones includes high concentrations of calcium salts (Ca-oxalate and Ca-phosphate), infections of urinary tracts, pH, and a decrease in the body's natural ability to inhibit the formation of the crystals (Suguna et al, 2012;Rajendran and Keefe, 2010).…”