In this paper a comprehensive study on the influence of heating rate on thermosensitive flocculation is presented. Experimental investigation was performed using a laboratory setup consisting of thermostated mixing tank with four baffles agitated by a mechanical propeller. PSD and the resulting mean aggregate size of a model suspension system consisting of calcium carbonate and a p(NIPAM-co-DADMAC) copolymer in RO water was measured with a modified laser particle sizer. It is found that in the studied range of heating rate (from 0.29 K/min-3.73 K/min) the final state of the system is almost identical regardless the heating rate. A semiempirical floc growth kinetics model was proposed and verified. In order to respect the effect of heating regime a parameter named the heating regime efficiency K-HR was introduced. The dependence of the model parameters on dimensionless flocculant dosage D-F, heating rate HR and heating regime efficiency K-HR was described by a power-law dependence. The experimental data and model predictions were found to be in a very good agreement. (c) 2015 The Institution of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.