Application of Proton Microprobe and ¹²C-Rutherford Backscattering Spectroscopy to the Identification of Hg(II)-Cations Sorbed by Granite Minerals

Abstract

The sorption of Hg(II)-cations from aqueous solutions by the three main mineral constituents of granite (quartz, feldspar and biotite) was investigated using proton microprobe and ,2 C-RBS. The investigation also included batch-type sorption experiments using pulverized mineral crystals and 203 Hg-labelled solutions as well as high-resolution y-ray spectroscopy. The batch-type experiments as well as the microprobe elemental mappings and line-scans indicated that the phyllosilicate biotite shows the highest Hg(II)-cations uptake ability. On the other hand, the I2 C-RBS data showed that the framework silicates feldspar and quartz adsorb small amounts of Hg(II)-cations especially on their surface. The rock texture and the surface microtopography of the minerals seem to play a crucial role in the migration of Hg(II)-cations into the granite.

Investigation of the uptake ability of fly ashes produced after lignite combustion

“…The nonmicroporous minerals (such as quartz and feldspars), despite not showing any cation exchange ability, adsorb very small ion quantities on their surfaces, depending on the pH conditions, temperature, ion strength of the liquid medium, etc. (Jenne, 1998;Misaelides et al, 1995Misaelides et al, , 1998. Minerals like zeolites and carbonates are able to partially modify the liquid medium (e.g.…”