Simulation of crystallization sequence during the evaporation of Chott El Jerid brine (south Tunisia)

The experimental determination of the brine crystallization sequence during isothermal evaporation is very time consuming. It requires a lot of difficult, tedious, lengthy and inaccurate analyses of liquid and solid phases. However if the phase diagram is known for a given system, application of the geometrical principles of phase rule allows to calculate equilibrium states and to attempt a more easy and accurate determination of the crystallization sequence of natural brine. This method was employed to simulate brine evaporation from Chott El Jerid (Tunisia) at 25°C and to foresee the solid phases deposed during the process.