U6+ phases in the weathering zone of the Bangombé U-deposit: observed and predicted mineralogy
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K. A. Jensen
, C. S. Palenik und Rodney C. Ewing
Summary
The mineralogy of the supergene-weathered Bangombé natural fission reactor (RZB) and surrounding uranium deposit has been analyzed and compared with the thermodynamically predicted minerals based on groundwater compositions. The primary U-minerals are uraninite UO2+x and minor coffinite (U[SiO4]·nH2O); sometimes with phosphorous. The U6+ minerals include fourmarierite Pb1−x[(UO2)4O3−2x(OH)4+2x]·4(H2O), bassetite (Fe1−x2+Fex3+[(UO2)(PO4)]2(OH)x·8−xH2O); possibly associated with U(HPO4)2·2H2O and/or chernikovite ((H3O)2[(UO2)(PO4)]2·6H2O); torbernite (Cu[(UO2)(PO4)]2· 8-12H2O), Ce-françoisite-(Nd) (REE(UO2)3O(OH)(PO4)2· 6H2O), and uranopilite ((UO2)6(SO4)O2(OH)6(H2O)6·8H2O). Autunite (Ca[(UO2)(PO4)]2·10-12H2O) has also been reported. Thermodynamic equilibrium modeling was completed using Geochemist's Workbench¯ with an expanded data base and the groundwater composition (−112 mV ≤ Eh ≤ 143 mV; pH = 5.96) at the base of RZB in drill-hole BAX03. The new ΔG0f,298.15 data were obtained from the literature or estimated using the polyhedral contribution method. Based on the updated database, Eh-pH diagrams predict that coffinite, U(HPO4)2·H2O and UOF2·H2O are the only stable U4+ phases and that uranopilite, torbernite and bassetite will become stable during oxidative alteration. Except from UOF2·H2O, this is in accord with mineralogical observations. The role of Cu was predicted from log aCu-pH diagrams, which predicts that torbernite is stable at log aCu=3.98×10−14 and pH≥2.2 at Eh=143 mV in BAX03 groundwaters. At Eh = −112 mV, torbernite is stable at pH>5.5. Soddyite ((UO2)2SiO4·2H2O) was predicted to form at the expense of coffinite, but soddyite has not been identified at Bangombé. Previous blind prediction modeling, often omitting P and S, had only predicted soddyite and haiweeite (Ca(UO2)2[Si5O12(OH)2]·4-5H2O) and hence, failed to predict the U6+ minerals observed at Bangombé. The results stress the importance of SO42− and PO43− resulting from dissolution of accessory apatite, monazite and sulfides in the retardation of U owing to the formation of U6+ sulfates and phosphates.
© Oldenbourg Wissenschaftsverlag, München
Artikel in diesem Heft
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Artikel in diesem Heft
- Solubility of amorphous Th(IV) hydroxide – application of LIBD to determine the solubility product and EXAFS for aqueous speciation
- Thermodynamics of the U(VI)-Ca2+-Cl −-OH −-H2O system: Solubility product of becquerelite
- Control of plutonium dioxide solubility by amorphous tetrahydroxide: A critical review of the model
- Technetium migration in fluoroapatite during thermal annealing
- Uranium release from boom clay in bicarbonate media
- Coprecipitation of thorium with UO2
- Formation of secondary phases after long-term corrosion of simulated HLW glass in brine solutions at 190 °C
- Sorption behaviour of Am on precorroded HLW glass in water and brines
- Molecular fluorescence spectroscopy and mixture analysis for the evaluation of the complexation between humic acid and UO22+
- Investigation on uranyl interaction with bioactive ligands. Synthesis and structural studies of the uranyl complexes with glycine and N-(2-mercaptopropionyl)glycine
- Complex formation of calcium with humic acid and polyacrylic acid
- Complexation of americium with humic, fulvic and citric acids at high ionic strength
- Complex formation of Eu(III) with humic acid and polyacrylic acid
- XAS study of technetium(IV) polymer formation in mixed sulphate/chloride media
- Complexation of uranium(VI) with malonate at variable temperatures
- The hydrolysis of uranium(VI)
- Corrosion and dissolution studies of UO2 containing α-emitters
- The effects of alpha-radiolysis on UO2 dissolution determined from electrochemical experiments with 238Pu-doped UO2
- Radiolytic formation of Tc(IV) oxide colloids
- Radiation-chemical effects in the near-field of a final disposal site: role of bromine on the radiolytic processes in NaCl-solutions
- The reduction of U(VI) on corroded iron under anoxic conditions
- New selenium solution speciation method by ion chromatography + gamma counting and its application to FeS2-controlled reducing conditions
- Uptake of oxo-anions by cements through solid-solution formation: experimental evidence and modelling
- Iodine species uptake by cement and CSH studied by I K-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy
- Structure of uranium sorption complexes at montmorillonite edge sites
- Sorption of several safety relevant radionuclides on granite and diorite – a potential repository host rock in the Taiwan area
- Sorption and reduction of neptunium(V) on the surface of iron oxides
- Uptake mechanism of IO3− to NO3−-hydrotalcite
- Structure alteration of C-S-H (calcium silicate hydrated phases) caused by sorption of caesium
- The effect of α-isosaccharinic acid on the stability of and Th(IV) uptake by hardened cement paste
- Complexation studies of Eu(III) with polyacrylic acid either free in solution or adsorbed onto alumina
- Sorption behaviour of caesium on a bentonite sample
- Specific interaction of cesium with the surface of calcium silicate hydrates
- Relationship of quantitative X-ray diffraction measurements of geologic materials to cesium sorption
- Instrumental development for spectroscopic speciation of f-elements in hydrothermal solutions: luminescence properties of lanthanide(III) ions
- Application of microprecipitation on membrane filters for Alpha Spectrometry, liquid scintillation counting and Mass Spectrometric determination of plutonium isotopes
- Characterization of aquatic colloids by a combination of LIBD and ICP-MS following the size fractionation
- Technetium behaviour in Boom Clay – a laboratory and field study
- The use of electromigration as a qualitative technique to study the migration behaviour and speciation of uranium in the Boom Clay
- Input contribution and vertical migration of plutonium, americium and cesium in lake sediments (Belham Tarn, Cumbria, UK)
- Diffusion of 22Na+, 85Sr2+, 134Cs+ and 57Co2+ in bentonite clay compacted to different densities: experiments and modeling
- U6+ phases in the weathering zone of the Bangombé U-deposit: observed and predicted mineralogy
- Precipitation of technetium by subsurface sulfate-reducing bacteria
- Spectroscopic studies on the interaction of U(VI) with Bacillus sphaericus
- Bio-sorption of neptunium(V) by Pseudomonas fluorescens
- Biotransformation of pertechnetate by Clostridia
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- Nagra/PSI Chemical Thermodynamic Data Base 01/01
- Sorption modelling by Gibbs energy minimisation: Towards a uniform thermodynamic database for surface complexes of radionuclides