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Transformation of magnetite to goethite under alkaline pH conditions

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2018

Y. T. He  and
S. J. Traina
Y. T. He*
Affiliation:
Environmental Science Graduate Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
S. J. Traina
Affiliation:
Environmental Science Graduate Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA Sierra Nevada Research Institute, University of California, Merced, CA 95344, USA
*
*E-mail: he.51@osu.edu
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Abstract

Magnetite is a redox active Fe oxide common in most soil and sedimentary environments. In this study, we investigated magnetite transformations under extreme alkaline conditions (0.1–2 mol l–1 NaOH) similar to those found under high-level radioactive waste storage tanks at the Hanford site in the State of Washington, USA. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) results showed that magnetite was transformed into maghemite and goethite, and the XRD peak intensities for goethite increased with NaOH concentration. Goethite was presumably formed through reconstructive dissolution/crystallization reactions that can be written as: Fe3O4 + OH– + H2O = γ-Fe2O3 + Fe(OH)3–; 2Fe(OH)3– + 1/2O2 + 2H+ = 2α-FeOOH + 3H2O. Some of the newly formed maghemite may also redissolve to form goethite at greater NaOH concentrations.

Keywords

magnetitetransformationgoethitemaghemitereconstructive reactiontopotactic reactionHanfordWashington
Type
Research Article
Information
Clay Minerals , Volume 42 , Issue 1 , March 2007 , pp. 13 - 19
Copyright
Copyright © The Mineralogical Society of Great Britain and Ireland 2007

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