Characterization of synthesised mixed valent natuarlly occuring Fe-films
EMSL Project ID
13491a
Abstract
A new mixed-valent (ferric-ferrous) precursor to ferrihydrite, a floating iron film often misidentified as an oil film, has been identified and preliminarily characterized. This mixed-valent iron oxide is similar to green rust and fougerite. Its high reductive capacity makes it attractive for use in environmental remediation, by reducing highly toxic contaminants such as hexavalent chromium. This precursor to ferrihydrite may also be an important nutrient source for microbial communities in wetlands and riparian zones. Recently NSF funded us to further characterize this phase in a number of natural environments and to synthesize it in the lab in order to determine its solubility and thermodynamic stability. We will use XRD, FTIR, Moessbauer, SEM, HRTEM, ICPMS, AAS, IC, and UV-Vis to characterize the film and associated waters. At EMSL we are proposing to use Moessbauer to study the synthesized Fe-film. For the synthesis we will use Fe-57 to decrease the sample amount needed and improve the resolution. We also intend to work on the characterization of the film using FTIR with Paul Gassman at EMSL.
Project Details
Project type
Large-Scale EMSL Research
Start Date
2006-07-27
End Date
2008-10-13
Status
Closed
Released Data Link
Team
Principal Investigator