Thermal decomposition and kinetics of dehydration of praseodymium(III) tartarate hexahydrate

Praseodymium tartarate hexahydrate has been prepared and characterised on the basis of its elemental analysis, ir and reflectance studies. The compound decomposes in four well-marked steps involving dehydration followed by partial and then complete conversion into carbonate and yielding oxide as the end-product. The kinetics of dehydration step has been studied by non-isothermal method. The TG data has been analysed for the evaluation of various kinetic parameters by the application of integral, approximation and differential methods. The dehydration process proceeds by random nucleation mechanism. (author). 3 figs., 9 refs