Association of trace elements and dissolution rates of soil iron oxides

Abstract

In this study, nine Oxisols and five Ultisols from Thailand were used to determine the association of major and trace elements with iron (Fe) oxides. The Fe oxides were concentrated and the association of elements (Al, Ca, Cu, Cr, Mg, Mn, Ni, Pb, P, Si, V, Ti, Zn) with Fe was evaluated using batch dissolution in 1 m HCl at 20°C. The dissolution behaviour of Fe oxide concentrates was determined using batch dissolution and flow-through reactors. In addition to Fe, both Al and Ti were present in significant amounts in the Fe oxide concentrates. Manganese was the most abundant trace element, and Cu, Zn, Pb and As concentrations were <250 mg kg–1 in most samples. The dissolution behaviour of Fe-oxide concentrates indicated that Al, Cr and V were mostly substituted for Fe3+ in the structure of goethite and hematite. A significant proportion of Mn, Ni, Co, Pb and Si was also present within the structure of these minerals. Some Mg, Cu, Zn, Ti and Ca was also associated with Fe oxides. The dissolution kinetics of Fe oxide concentrates was well described by three models, i.e. the cube root law, Avrami–Erofejev equation and Kabai equation, with the dissolution rate constants (103k) corresponding to the three models ranging from 0.44 to 6.11 h–1, from 1.01 to 4.40 h–1 and from 0.03 to 4.12 h–1, respectively. The k constants of Fe oxide concentrates in this study were significantly and negatively correlated with the mean crystal dimension derived from [110] and [104] of hematite, the dominant mineral in most samples. The steady-state dissolution rate of a soil Fe-oxide concentrate (sample Kk) was substantially higher than for synthetic goethite under highly acidic conditions; this is possibly due to the greater specific surface area of sample Kk than the synthetic goethite.