Nucleation, Growth and Aggregation Behavior of Al and Fe Oxyhydroxide Mineral Colloids (AMICO)

Laboratoire(s)/équipe(s) du LabEx OSUG impliqué(e.s) : ISTerre
Porteur du Projet : Alejandro Fernandez-Martinez

The weathering of iron sulfide minerals and the subsequent production of Acid Mine Drainage is an important environmental problem. It impacts mined and natural environments around pyritic deposits worldwide due to the mobilization of toxic elements in the acid waters. The release of Fe2+ and Al3+ from pyritic rocks, and the subsequent oxidation of Fe2+ to Fe3+, lead to the formation of several metastable poorly or nano-crystalline mineral phases such as schwertmannite or basaluminite. These phases are vectors for the colloidal transport of these toxic elements (e.g., As, Cr or Cu). However, their formation mechanisms and their relative stability in the presence of the different anions remains poorly understood. Here we propose to perform in-situ time-resolved experiments to characterize the structure of these metastable mineral phases during their nucleation, and their transformation kinetics in the presence of different toxic elements.

Montant accordé : 9 000 € en 2013

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Mis à jour le 27 juillet 2016