The current invention relates to the modification of precipitate formed from an acidic slurry or solution resulting in decreased settling times and final solids bed volumes. The current invention uses an aqueous synthetic mixture comprising a phosphate, phosphonate, anionic polymer, anionic/cationic polymer blend or combinations thereof in the slurry and/or solution to improve clarification of the process stream. The claimed invention has a significant effect on precipitate morphology consequently improving settling characteristics and allowing for superior solid-liquid separation and process throughput.