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Experimental Determination of Solubilities of Brucite [Mg(OH)2(cr)] in Na2SO4 Solutions with Borate to High Ionic Strengths: Interactions of MgB(OH) +4 with Na2SO4

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Abstract

In this work, a solubility study on brucite [Mg(OH)2(cr)] in Na2SO4 solutions ranging from 0.01 to 1.8 mol·kg−1, with 0.001 mol·kg−1 borate, has been conducted at 22.5 °C. Based on the solubility data, the Pitzer interaction parameters for MgB(OH) +4  − SO 2−4 and MgB(OH) +4  − Na+ along with the formation constant for MgSO4(aq) are evaluated using the Pitzer model. The formation constant (\( \log_{10} \beta_{1}^{0} \)  = 2.38 ± 0.08) for MgSO4(aq) at 25 °C and infinite dilution obtained in this study is in excellent agreement with the literature values. The experimental data on the solubility of gypsum (CaSO4·2H2O), at 25 °C, in aqueous solutions of MgSO4 with ionic strengths up to ~ 11 mol·kg−1 were analyzed using models with and without considering the MgSO4(aq) species. The model incorporating MgSO4(aq) fits better to the experimental data than the model without MgSO4(aq), especially in the ionic strength range beyond ~ 4 mol·kg−1, demonstrating the need for incorporation of MgSO4(aq) into the model to improve the accuracy.

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Acknowledgements

Sandia National Laboratories is a multi-mission laboratory managed and operated by Sandia Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corporation, for the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-AC04-94AL85000. This research is funded by the WIPP programs administered by the Office of Environmental Management (EM) of the U.S. Department of Energy. SAND2017-13513J. The laboratory assistance from Lindsay Day, Diana Goulding, Brittany Hoard, Chase Kicker, Danelle Morrill, Cassandra Marrs, Rachael Roselle, Mathew Stroble, William Sullvan, Kira Vincent, and Yoni Xiong is gratefully acknowledged. The authors are grateful to the three journal reviewers for their insightful and thorough reviews, which have improved the presentation of the article, and to Dr. Magdalena Bendová, the journal editor, for her time and editorial efforts. The authors wish to thank Dr. Earle Waghorne, Editor-in-Chief, for his invitation to the first and senior author to contribute to the special issue of ISSP-17.

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  1. Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), Carlsbad Programs Group, 4100 National Parks Highway, Carlsbad, NM, 88220, USA

    Yongliang Xiong, Leslie Kirkes & Terry Westfall

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  1. Yongliang Xiong
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Correspondence to Yongliang Xiong.

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Xiong, Y., Kirkes, L. & Westfall, T. Experimental Determination of Solubilities of Brucite [Mg(OH)2(cr)] in Na2SO4 Solutions with Borate to High Ionic Strengths: Interactions of MgB(OH) +4 with Na2SO4. J Solution Chem 47, 595–610 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10953-018-0742-z

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