During mechanical activation, qualitative changes that can produce various
phenomena occur in the material. In this study, anhydrous sodium carbonate
was mechanically activated for 2, 7, 14, and 28 minutes in a vibro mill at a
frequency of 3000 oscillations per minute. After activation, four series of
activated samples were stored in the air at room conditions for 31 days
(relaxation period). To monitor the kinetics of the transformation process
of activated sodium carbonate samples, i.e. the mechanism of sodium
bicarbonate formation during relaxation, Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR)
spectroscopy analysis was used. FTIR testing was performed as a function of
relaxation time for all four series of samples, with characteristic groups
observed: CO32-, HCO3- and OH-. The obtained results provided kinetics
parameters for the transformation of sodium carbonate into sodium
bicarbonate due to the chemisorption of moisture and carbon dioxide from the
atmosphere.