Kinetics of brucite dissolution at 25°C in the presence of organic and inorganic ligands and divalent metals

Abstract

Brucite (Mg(OH) 2) dissolution rate was measured at 25°C in a mixed-flow reactor at various pH (5 to 11) and ionic strengths (0.01 to 0.03 M) as a function of the concentration of 15 organic and 5 inorganic ligands and 8 divalent metals. At neutral and weakly alkaline pH, the dissolution is promoted by the addition of the following ligands ranked by decreasing effectiveness: EDTA ≥ H 2PO 4 − > catechol ≥ HCO 3 − > ascorbate > citrate > oxalate > acetate ∼ lactate and it is inhibited by boric acid. At pH >10.5, it decreases in the presence of PO 4 3−, CO 3 2−, F −, oxine, salicylate, lactate, acetate, 4-hydroxybenzoate, SO 4 2− and B(OH) 4 − with orthophosphate and borate being the strongest and the weakest inhibitor, respectively. Xylose (up to 0.1 M), glycine (up to 0.05 M), formate (up to 0.3 M) and fulvic and humic acids (up to 40 mg/L DOC) have no effect on brucite dissolution kinetics. Fluorine inhibits dissolution both in neutral and alkaline solutions. From F sorption experiments in batch and flow-through reactors and the analysis of reacted surfaces using X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), it is shown that fluorine adsorption is followed by its incorporation in brucite lattice likely via isomorphic substitution with OH. The effect of eight divalent metals (Sr, Ba, Ca, Pb, Mn, Fe, Co and Ni) studied at pH 4.9 and 0.01 M concentration revealed brucite dissolution rates to be correlated with the water molecule exchange rates in the first hydration sphere of the corresponding cation. The effect of investigated ligands on brucite dissolution rate can be modelled within the framework of the surface coordination approach taking into account the adsorption of ligands on dissolution-active sites and the molecular structure of the surface complexes they form. The higher the value of the ligand sorption constant, the stronger will be its catalyzing or inhibiting effect. As for Fe and Al oxides, bi- or multidentate mononuclear surface complexes, that labilize Mg-O bonds and water coordination to Mg atoms at the surface, enhance brucite dissolution whereas bi- or polynuclear surface complexes tend to inhibit dissolution by bridging two or more metal centers and extending the cross-linking at the solid surface. Overall, results of this study demonstrate that very high concentrations of organic ligands (0.01–0.1 M) are necessary to enhance or inhibit brucite dissolution. As a result, the effect of extracellular organic products on the weathering rate of Mg-bearing minerals is expected to be weak.