Reaction modeling substrate mineralization

We might take a purist s approach and attempt to use kinetic theory to describe the dissolution and precipitation of each mineral that might appear in the calculation. Such an approach, although appealing and conceptually correct, is seldom practical. The database required to support the calculation would have to include rate laws for every possible reaction mechanism for each of perhaps hundreds of minerals. Even unstable minerals that can be neglected in equilibrium models would have to be included in the database, since they might well form in a kinetic model (see Section 26.4, Ostwald s Step Rule). If we are to allow new minerals to form, furthermore, it will be necessary to describe how quickly each mineral can nucleate on each possible substrate. 

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