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Updated: Aug 9, 2026

Optimization of Crystal Growth for Neutron Macromolecular Crystallography
Published on: March 13, 2021
Production and basic morphology of struvite crystals from a pilot-scale crystallization process
1Environmental Engineering Group, Department of Civil Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
Abstract:
A pilot-scale, struvite crystallization process was operated using anaerobic digester supernatants from two, full-scale, treatment plants as influent. It was found that the produced struvite crystals were easily separated from the process and were composed of very pure struvite (91.2 % to 94.1 % purity), with small amounts of calcium and carbonate, and traces of iron and aluminum. Most of the harvested struvite crystals, which were an aggregation of numerous fine crystals, were round, hard and larger than 1.5 mm in mean diameter. The crystal retention time in the reactor and the magnesium dosage in the supernatant appeared to have a significant effect on the crystal size, hardness and morphology.
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