Actinides sorption onto hematite: experimental data, surface complexation modeling and linear free energy relationship

Abstract

Abstract The sorption of actinides in different valence states – Am(III), Th(IV), Np(V) and U(VI) onto hematite have been revisited with the special emphasis on the equilibrium constants of formation of surface species. The experimental sorption data have been treated using surface complexation modeling from which the set of new values of equilibrium constants were obtained. Formation of inner sphere monodentate surface species adequately describes the pH-sorption edges for actinide ions indicative the ionic electrostatic nature of bonding with small or no covalency contribution. The linear free energy relationship representing the correlation between the hydrolysis constants and surface complexation constants has been developed for various cations including K(I), Li(I), Na(I), Ag(I), Tl(I), Sr(II), Cu(II), Co(II), La(III), Eu(III), Ga(III), Am(III), Th(IV), Np(V), U(VI).