No abstract

The objective of this work was to develop a more representative mathematical formulation of the alteration kinetics of the borosilicate SON68 glass by combining three approaches: (1) Compare extensive prior experimental static leaching results for SON68 glass with the first-order kinetic law in which silica is the predominant element, (2) Assess the exact role of dissolved silica on the alteration rate under conditions near and far from saturation, by means of dynamic leach tests and, (3) Compare the new data with the general kinetic law for silicates in which the reaction affinity, catalysis and inhibition are the three influencing factors.

Experimental basaltic glass dissolution in fresh water is compared with analyses made on subglacial hyaloclastites from Iceland. The dissolution is initially selective and remains selective if the solution is renewed, whereas it becomes apparently congruent in non-renewed conditions. The congruent dissolution is ascribed to a pH increase (up to 7.0–7.5) which is hampered in the former conditions. The palagonite hydrated layer on the Icelandic basaltic glasses is made up of amorphous to crystallized clay-like materials. The chemical composition of palagonite is close to that of the intergranular clayey material, thus, it is inferred that in most cases no significant chemical gradient exists in the solution between the reaction zone, namely the glass/palagonite interface, and the intergranular solution. We conclude that the dissolution of basaltic glass under subglacial conditions is controlled by thermodynamics and that kinetic constraints, such as the diffusion of species through the altered layers, do not play a major role.

No abstract