Technical Articles

FORMATION OF FERRIC HYDROXIDE-SILICA COATINGS ON PYRITE AND ITS OXIDATION BEHAVIOR1

Zhang, Y. L.2; Evangelou, V. P.2

Author Information

1Contribution from the Dept. of Agronomy, Univ. of Kentucky Agric. Exp. Stn. The investigation reported in this paper (no. 97-06-66) is in connection with a project of the Kentucky Agric. Exp. Stn. and is published with the approval of the director.

2Department of Agronomy, N-122 Ag. Sci. Center North, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40546-0091. Dr. Evangelou is corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected]

Received April 19, 1997; accepted Aug. 20, 1997.

Soil Science 163(1):p 53-62, January 1998.

Abstract

The approach used most commonly to prevent pyrite oxidation in the field is the use of limestone. This approach, however, has a short span of effectiveness because the pyrite particle surfaces remain exposed to the atmospheric O2 after treatment. The objective of this study was to examine the feasibility of controlling pyrite oxidation in bench-scale studies by creating a ferric hydroxide-silica coating that would prevent either O2 or Fe3+ from oxidizing pyrite further. Ferric hydroxide-silica coating formation involved leaching pyrite at room temperature using a 10-mm-i.d. chromatographic column with a solution containing H2O2, Na-acetate (NaOAC), and soluble silicate at a flow rate of 0.43 mL min−1. The results of this bench-scale study show that formation of a ferric hydroxide-silica coating was induced on the pyrite surface and that it inhibited pyrite oxidation under acid conditions.

© Williams & Wilkins 1998. All Rights Reserved.

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