Properties of goethite and jarosite precipitated from acidic groundwater, Dalarna, Sweden

• Published in: Clays and clay minerals Vol. 45; no. 2; pp. 261 - 273
• Main Author: HERBERT, R. B
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Boulder, CO Clay Minerals Society 01.04.1997
• Subjects: Earth sciences; Earth, ocean, space; Exact sciences and technology; Exogen geovetenskap; Exogenous earth sciences; Geovetenskap; Hydrogeology; Hydrology. Hydrogeology; Kvartärgeologi; Mineralogy; NATURAL SCIENCES; NATURVETENSKAP; Non silicates; Quaternary geology; Scandinavia; Sweden; Dalarna; scanning electron microscopy; substitution; oxides; Europe; unit cell; X-ray diffraction; ground water; jarosite; SEM data; sulfates; leaching; crystal form; cell dimensions; goethite; hydroxides; hydrochemistry; Mossbauer spectroscopy; Fe-57; acid mine drainage; soils; dimensions; SEDIMENTS; groundwater; FE OXYHYDROXIDES; WATERS; IRON-OXIDES; MINE DRAINAGE; ALUMINUM; X-ray diffractometry; AL-SUBSTITUTED GOETHITES; TAILINGS; BACTERIAL OXIDATION; MINERALOGY
• ISSN: 0009-8604; 1552-8367
• DOI: 10.1346/ccmn.1997.0450214

Abstract This study characterizes various chemical and mineralogical properties of goethite and jarosite from a mine drainage environment using chemical extraction techniques, X-ray diffractometry (XRD), 57 Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Goethite and jarosite precipitates were collected from leachate-contaminated soils and from groundwater samples that were stored for up to 3 y. The results indicate that the soil goethites have primarily microcrystalline morphologies with moderately large mean crystallite dimensions (MCD 110 ∼ 40 nm), and are superparamagnetic at room temperature and magnetically ordered at 77 K. The substitution of Al for Fe in the goethites is less than 0.03 mol/mol, and there is consequently no measured contraction in the goethite unit cell volume. The jarosite unit cell dimensions, Mössbauer parameters and chemical compositions indicate that the precipitates are primarily well-crystallized K-Na-H 3 O solid solutions, although the presence of poorly crystalline H 3 O-rich jarosite is also identified in one sample.