A METHOD TO INVESTIGATE THE INTERACTION OF RARE-EARTH ELEMENTS IN AQUEOUS-SOLUTION WITH METAL-OXIDES

A method is described which can be used to investigate the interaction of dissolved metals with particulate material. Low level concentrations (10(-9) M) of rare earth radiotracers were used to investigate their sorption onto synthetic mineral oxide surfaces. The preparation of rare earth radiotracers by neutron activation is discussed in detail. A kinetic approach was employed to investigate the interaction of dissolved metals and suspended mineral oxides. Amorphous iron oxyhyroxide, a phase commonly found in nature, was used in sorption experiments carried out in seawater at pH 7.8 and 2-degrees-C. Results of this study indicate a high affinity of the rare earth elements (REE) for the iron oxide surface (evidenced by fast uptake and high partition coefficients) and reveal a fractionation between light and heavy REE.