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Kinetics of Silica Scaling
In order to evaluate the rates of dissolution and precipitation of mineral components from rock-water reactions, an experimental model of natural geothermal systems has been designed and constructed. Each circulating system consists of an 1125 ml., 310 S.S. reaction vessel connected via 316 S.S. tubing to a series of heat exchangers, a double valve sampling system, a circulating pump and a reservoir-fed pressure pump. The low temperature heat exchanger, the sampling system and the circulating pump are contained within a constant temperature bath which is maintained at 65 C. The sampling system permits extraction of 5 ml. samples from the circulating solution with no significant perturbation of conditions within the pressurized system. Analysis of these samples provides the basis for deriving reaction rate constants. The run materials used to date have included pure quartz sand, biotite adamellite and granitic gneiss. The latter two samples were collected in the Nacemiento Mountains, New Mexico and are similar to the rock types found in the basement complex under the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory's Dry Hot Rock Geothermal Project. Air-saturated distilled water and NaCl brines have both been used as experimental fluids