• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.158-165
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• 2000

The purity of gypsum and quantitation of impurities of flue gas gypsum will not only play an important role in deciding of the optimal condition during a trial run of FGD (flue gas desulfurization), but also can be utilized in quality control of gypsum. The purity of gypsum can be determined from combined water, sulfur trioxide and calcium concentration. We found that the thermal analysis by TGA (thermogravimetric analysis) was the most accurate and convenient method to determine the purity of gypsum. This method will be done in a hour and the results were reproducible. On the other hand, the best way of the analysis of impurities in gypsum was fusion method using $LiBO_2$ as a fusion agent. We also determined the amount of $CO_2$ gas to analyze magnesium carbonate and calcium carbonate contents. The analyses of combined water by TGA, fusion method followed by ICP-AES (inductively coupled plasmaatomic emission spectroscopy) and determination of $CO_2$ amount can lead to more accurate and convenient method for gypsum analysis.