• Journal of Korea Soil Environment Society
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.57-68
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• 1999

Adsorption behavior of metal elements onto soil minerals such as illite, halloysite. zeolite(clinoptilolite). and goethite was comparatively investigated at $25^{\circ}C$ using pollutant water collected from a gold-bearing metal mine. Speciation of solutions reacted was determined by WATEQ4F program, indicating that most of metal ions exist as free ions and that there is little difference in chemical species and their relative abundances between initial soultion and reacted solutions. The experimental data exhibit that the adsorption extent of elements varies depending on mineral types and reaction time. The adsorption process practically took place within one hour, with Fe and As significantly removed from solutions. On the whole, halloysite is regarded as the most effective adsorbent among minerals used in the experiment. Adsorption properties of alkali elements do not consistent with a manner predicted from hydrated ionic radii.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.30-37
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• 2009

Distribution diagram of Pt(IV), Pd(II), and Rh(III) in HCl solution was obtained as a function of HCl concentration from 0.001 to 10 M by considering complex formation reaction together with mass balance. When HCl concentration was higher than 0.1 M, most of Pt and Pd in HCl solution exist as $PtCl_6^{2-}$ and $PtCl_4^{2-}$. The concentration of HCl had a feat effect on the speciation of Rh(III). As HCl concentration increases from 0.1 to 10 M, the pedominant species changes from $PhCl_5^{2-}$ to $PhCl_6^{3-}$. Interaction parameters of $PtCl_6^{2-}$ and $PdCl_4^{2-}$ with hydrogen ion were evaluated from the solvent extraction data of Pt and Pd reported in the literature.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.11-20
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• 1998

The effects of the major cations ($Ca^{2+}$, $Mg^{2+}$, $K^+$, $Na^+$), complex-forming anions ($SO_4{^{2-}}$, $HCO_3{^-}$), and solution pH on the adsorption of $^{137}Cs$ and $^{90}Sr$ by kaolinite in groundwater chemistry were investigated. Three-dimensional Kd modelling designed by a statistical method was attempted to compare the relative effect among hydrated radii, charge and concentration of competing cations on the adsorption of Cs and Sr. The modelling results indicate that the hydrated radii of competing cations is the most important factor, and then their charges and concentrations are also important factors in order. The property of zeta potential of kaolinite particles was discussed in terms of the amphoteric reactions of a kaolinite surface affecting the adsorption of Cs and Sr. The ionic strength of competing cations on the adsorption of Cs and Sr exerts a greater effect than the solution pH. The sorption behaviour of Sr on kaolinite is also highly dependent on the concentration of bicarbonate. The speciation of Sr and the saturation state of a secondary phase were thermodynamically calculated by a computer program, WATEQ4F. This indicates that the change in solution pH with the concentration of bicarbonate and the precipitation of a strontianite ($SrCO_3$) are major factors controlling Sr adsorption behaviour in the presence of bicarbonate ion.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.56 no.6
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• pp.847-870
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• 2023

The safe disposal of high-level radioactive waste requires accurate predictions of the long-term geochemical behavior of radionuclides. To achieve this, the present study was conducted to model geochemical behaviors of uranium (U), plutonium (Pu), and palladium (Pd) under different hydrogeochemical conditions that represent deep groundwater in Korea. Geochemical modeling was performed for five types of South Korean deep groundwater environment: high-TDS saline groundwater (G1), low-pH CO₂-rich groundwater (G2), high-pH alkaline groundwater (G3), sulfate-rich groundwater (G4), and dilute (fresh) groundwater (G5). Under the pH and Eh (redox potential) ranges of 3 to 12 and ±0.2 V, respectively, the solubility and speciation of U, Pu, and Pd in deep groundwater were predicted. The result reveals that U(IV) exhibits high solubility within the neutral to alkaline pH range, even in reducing environment with Eh down to -0.2 V. Such high solubility of U is primarily attributed to the formation of Ca-U-CO₃ complexes, which is important in both G2 located along fault zones and G3 occurring in granitic bedrocks. On the other hand, the solubility of Pu is found to be highly dependent on pH, with the lowest solubility in neutral to alkaline conditions. The predominant species are Pu(IV) and Pu(III) and their removal is predicted to occur by sorption. Considering the migration by colloids, however, the role of colloid formation and migration are expected to promote the Pu mobility, especially in deep groundwater of G3 and G5 which have low ionic strengths. Palladium (Pd) exhibits the low solubility due to the precipitation as sulfides in reducing conditions. In oxidizing condition, anionic complexes such as Pd(OH)₃^-, PdCl₃(OH)₂^-, PdCl₄^2-, and Pd(CO₃)₂^2- would be removed by sorption onto metal (hydro)oxides. This study will improve the understanding of the fate and transport of radionuclides in deep groundwater conditions of South Korea and therefore contributes to develop strategies for safe high-level radioactive waste disposal.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.209-220
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• 2004

Adsorption behavior of Cu onto Hwangto, from Pankok-ri, Kosung-gun, suspension was studied using Cu batch adsorftion experiment and computer program MINTEQA2 and FITEQL 3.2. The sorption of copper was investigated as a function of pH, copper concentration and $NaNO_3$ background concentration (0.01 and 0.1 M). The concentration of copper was analyzed using ICP-AES. The sorption of copper onto Hwangto suspension increased with increasing pH and copper concentration. The adsorption percentage of copper drastically increased from pH 5.5 to 6.5, and reached nearly 100% at pH 7.5. Because the amount of copper solution and the ionic strength of background electrolyte may not affect the sorption of copper onto Hwangto, the copper ion may be combined at the surface of Hwangto as an inner-sphere complex. Using the MINTEQA2 program, the speciation of copper was calculated as a function of pH and copper concentration. The concentration of $Cu^{2+}$ decreased and that of $Cu(OH)_2$ increased with increasing pH. The uptake of copper in the Hwangto suspension was simulated by FITEQL3.2 program using two sites-three pKas model, which is composed of silicate reaction site and Fe oxide reaction site. The copper absorption reaction constants were calculated in the case of 2～6 mL of copper solution. The Fe oxide reaction site rapidly adsorbs copper ion between pH 4.5～6.5. Silicate reaction site adsorbs little copper ion at low copper concentration but much at high copper concentration. The removal amount of copper by precipitation was negligible in comparison with that of adsorption. The Fe oxide reaction site may has higher adsorption affinity of copper ion than silicate reaction site.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.56 no.5
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• pp.603-618
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• 2023

This study focused on evaluating the suitability of the WRK (waste repository Korea) bentonite as a buffer material in the SNF (spent nuclear fuel) repository. The U (uranium) adsorption/desorption characteristics and the adsorption mechanisms of the WRK bentonite were presented through various analyses, adsorption/desorption experiments, and kinetic adsorption modeling at various pH conditions. Mineralogical and structural analyses supported that the major mineral of the WRK bentonite is the Ca-montmorillonite having the great possibility for the U adsorption. From results of the U adsorption/desorption experiments (intial U concentration: 1 mg/L) for the WRK bentonite, despite the low ratio of the WRK bentonite/U (2 g/L), high U adsorption efficiency (>74%) and low U desorption rate (<14%) were acquired at pH 5, 6, 10, and 11 in solution, supporting that the WRK bentonite can be used as the buffer material preventing the U migration in the SNF repository. Relatively low U adsorption efficiency (<45%) for the WRK bentonite was acquired at pH 3 and 7 because the U exists as various species in solution depending on pH and thus its U adsorption mechanisms are different due to the U speciation. Based on experimental results and previous studies, the main U adsorption mechanisms of the WRK bentonite were understood in viewpoint of the chemical adsorption. At the acid conditions (＜pH 3), the U is apt to adsorb as forms of UO₂²⁺, mainly due to the ionic bond with Si-O or Al-O(OH) present on the WRK bentonite rather than the ion exchange with Ca²⁺ among layers of the WRK bentonite, showing the relatively low U adsorption efficiency. At the alkaline conditions (>pH 7), the U could be adsorbed in the form of anionic U-hydroxy complexes (UO₂(OH)₃^-, UO₂(OH)₄^2-, (UO₂)₃(OH)₇^-, etc.), mainly by bonding with oxygen (O^-) from Si-O or Al-O(OH) on the WRK bentonite or by co-precipitation in the form of hydroxide, showing the high U adsorption. At pH 7, the relatively low U adsorption efficiency (42%) was acquired in this study and it was due to the existence of the U-carbonates in solution, having relatively high solubility than other U species. The U adsorption efficiency of the WRK bentonite can be increased by maintaining a neutral or highly alkaline condition because of the formation of U-hydroxyl complexes rather than the uranyl ion (UO₂²⁺) in solution,and by restraining the formation of U-carbonate complexes in solution.