Na-montmorillonite dissolution rate determined by varying the Gibbs free energy of reaction in a dispersed system and its application to a coagulated system in 0.3M NaOH solution at 70C

Oda, Chie  ; Walker, C.; Chino, Daisuke*; Ichige, Satoru; Honda, Akira; Sato, Tsutomu*; Yoneda, Tetsuro*

Na-montmorillonite dissolution in a 0.3M NaOH solution has been investigated at pH12 and 70C. The flow-through dissolution experiments were conducted in a dispersed system with varying concentrations of Si and Al to derive a Na-montmorillonite dissolution rate, as a non-linear function of the Gibbs free energy of reaction, dGr. This rate equation was used to simulate the batch-type Na-montmorillonite reaction experiments conducted in a coagulated system. The model simulation of the batch-type experiment adopting the empirical rate equations of Na-montmorillonite dissolution and secondary mineral analcime precipitation were able to reproduce the measured changes in the amount of dissolved Na-montmorillonite and concentrations of Si and Al in solution. The results showed that the empirical rate equation of Na-montmorillonite dissolution determined in the dispersed system was applicable to the coagulated system over a higher dGr range and that the concentrations of Si and Al in the batch experiment were controlled by the precipitation of analcime.