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Sept-2007
Vista compatible, 32-bit, version 4.6 is released.
May - 2002 Version 4.5: Thermodynamic
database is upgraded, documented and conforms to USEPA standards.
All reaction data is referenced.
Sept
- 1998 Version
4.0: Windows, 16-bit version released. Numerical stability
locked
in for wide range of chemical conditions. New report writing
features. Titrations, sensitivity
analysis, processing of huge datasets now possible.
June - 1992
Version 3.0: DOS, 8-bit version is released. First spatial user
interface for MINEQL. Tableau view of input
data. Object oriented management of output data to fit any
application. MINTEQ data is included.
Prior to our
work:
Late 1980's USEPA
combines MINEQL numerical code and the USGS's WATEQ thermodynamic
data to produce MINTEQ.
1987 At MIT, Dave
Dzombak collects Two Layer surface complexation data for a wide range
of aqueous ions on FeO
Early 1980's
The USGS develops a chemical equilibrium program called WATEQ. Their
work continues throughout the decade to provide critical review of
thermodynamic data.
1980
MINEQL "+Stanford" (because of the work at Stanford University)
provides
electrostatic surface complexation reactions within MINEQL.
1975
MINEQL is developed at MIT, by John Westall and Francois Morel. The
FORTRAN program uses a generic tableau
approach to describe equilibria and mass balance in aqueoous systems.
1972
REDEQL is developed by James Morgan and Francois Morel. First
chemical equilibrium program with a vast scope of application. Becomes
the prototype for MINEQL. | |
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Calculating chemical equilibrium for all but the most simple waters
requires the use of a computer program. There are several around, some
of which you can get for free. Many of them base their numerical
algorithms around the MINEQL program which was developed at MIT in the
mid 1970's. I'm not going to go into a description of MINEQL here. It
suffices to say that MINEQL maintained such a robustness and elegance
that it was hard to beat. Any of the improvements that came to MINEQL
over the years never tampered with its core numerical techniques. Some
of the other models worth looking into are MINTEQA2 (developed in the
mid 1980's for the USEPA), PHREEQC (developed by the US Geological
Survey) and MINEQL+ (which I will talk more about later). In fact,
there have been hundreds of derivative programs created of the last 30
years. Many were never intended to be used by a broader audience; many
assumed that you would have a fairly advanced knowledge of computers
and programming. 