Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-j824f Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-14T03:24:21.816Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Comment on “The experimental determination of hydromagnesite precipitation rates at 22.5– 75°C” by Berninger, U.-N., Jordan, G., Schott, J. and Oelkers, E.H.

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Yongliang Xiong*
Affiliation:
Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), Carlsbad Programs Group, 4100 National Parks Highway, Carlsbad, NM 88220, USA
Ziya Cetiner
Affiliation:
Department of Geological Engineering, Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University, Canakkale 17020, Turkey
*

Abstract

In this work, we tested the equilibrium constant of hydromagnesite [Mg5(CO3)4(OH)2·4H2O] at 22.5°C proposed by Berninger et al. (2014) against field observations. By field observations we mean that analytical resultsoriginate from samples in the natural environment. In our test, we calculated saturation states of hydromagnesite, using the equilibrium constant of hydromagnesite at 22.5°C from Berninger et al., for the carbonate lakes in Qinghai-Xizang Plateau in China and for Salda Lake in Turkey,based on the hydrochemical data from literature. The predictions based on this equilibrium constant indicate that all of these lakes are strongly under-saturated with respect to hydromagnesite. However, hydromagnesite has been shown to form in all of these lakes. Therefore, this equilibrium constant is clearly in direct contradiction with field observations, leading to the conclusion that the equilibrium constant of hydromagnesite of Berninger et al. (2014) is not suitable for geochemical modelling.

Type
Article Commentary
Copyright
Copyright © The Mineralogical Society of Great Britain and Ireland 2017

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Babb, S.C. and Novak, C.F. (1997) User's Manual for FMT Version 2.3: A Computer Code Employing the Pitzer Activity Coefficient Formalism for Calculating Thermodynamic Equilibrium in Geochemical Systems to High Electrolyte Concentrations. WPO 43037. Sandia National Laboratories. Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA.Google Scholar
Berninger, U.N., Jordan, G., Schott, J. and Oelkers, E.H. (2014) The experimental determination of hydromag-nesite precipitation rates at 22.5-75°C. Mineralogical Magazine, 78(6) 14051416.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Botha, A. and Strydom, C.A. (2001) Preparation of a magnesium hydroxy carbonate from magnesium hydroxide. Hydrometallurgy, 62(3), 175-183.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sezer, B. (2004) Properties of crystallization and SI (Saturation index) of Lake Salda 's actual magnesium occurrences [in Turkish]. MSc Thesis, Istanbul Technical University, Turkey.Google Scholar
Suner, F. (2000) Geological and Geochemical Investigation of Hydromagnesite Formations in Lake Salda-Burdur Project Report No: 198Y055. The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK), Earth Marine Atmospherical Sciences and Environmental Research Grant Group, pp. 131 [In Turkish].Google Scholar
Wang, Y (1998) WIPP PA Validation Document for FMT (Version 2.4), Document Version 2.4. WPO 51587. Sandia National Laboratories, Carlsbad, New Mexico, USA.Google Scholar
Wolery, T.J., Xiong, Y.-L. and Long, J. (2010) Verification and Validation Plan/Validation Document for EQ3/6 Version 8.0a for Actinide Chemistry, Document Version 8.10. ERMS 550239. Sandia National laboratories, Carlsbad, New Mexico.Google Scholar
Xiong, Y.-L. (2011a) WIPP Verification and Validation Plan/Validation Document for EQ3/6 Version 8.0a for Actinide Chemistry, Revision 1, Document Version 8.20. Supersedes ERMS 550239. ERMS 555358. Sandia National Laboratories, Carlsbad, New Mexico, USA.Google Scholar
Xiong, Y.-L. (2011b) Experimental determination of solubility constant of hydromagnesite(5424) in NaCl solutions up to 4.4 m at room temperature. Chemical Geology, 284, 262269.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Xiong, Y.-L. (2016) Comment on “Hydromagnesite solubility product and growth kinetics in aqueous solution from 25 to 75° C” by Gautier, Q., Benezeth, P., Mavromatis, V., and Schott, J. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, http://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2016.04.013.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Xiong, Y.-L., Domski, P. (2016) Updating the WIPP Thermodynamic Database, Revision 1, Supersedes ERMS 565730. ERMS 566047. Sandia National Laboratories, Carlsbad, New Mexico, USA.Google Scholar
Xiong, Y and Lord, A.S. (2008) Experimental investigations of the reaction path in the MgO-CO2-H2O system in solutions with various ionic strengths, and their applications to nuclear waste isolation. Applied Geochemistry, 23, 16341659.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Xiong, Y.-L., Nowak, J., Brush, L., Ismail, A. and Long, J. (2010) Establishment of uncertainty ranges and probability distributions of actinide solubilities for performance assessment in the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant. MRS Proceedings, 1265, doi:10.1557/PROC-1265-AA01-03.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zheng, M. and Liu, X. (2009) Hydrochemistry of salt lakes of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, China. Aquatic Geochemistry, 15, 293320.CrossRefGoogle Scholar