The point of zero charge of natural and synthetic ferrihydrites and its relation to adsorbed silicate

Abstract

The point of zero charge (pzc) of synthetic Fe-oxides is well documented and usually ranges between pH 7 and 9 (Parks, 1965; Schwertmann & Taylor, 1977). In contrast, the pzc of natural Fe-oxides has only rarely been determined. Using electrophoretic mobility, Van Schuylenborgh & Arens (1950) found that a natural goethite had a much lower pzc (∼3) than synthetic goethites. They attributed this to better crystallinity of the natural goethite caused by slower crystallization. Soils dominated by Fe- (or Al-) oxides rarely have pzc values as high as those of pure oxides. This is usually attributed to the presence of negatively charged impurities such as clay silicates and organic matter (Parfitt, 1981). Ferrihydrite, a natural, poorly-crystalline Fe-oxide mineral of bulk composition 5Fe 2 O 3.9H 2 O, occurs in hydromorphic soils (Schwertmann et al., 1982) and is the main component in ochrous precipitates formed when Fe-bearing fresh waters come in contact with air (Schwertmann & Fischer, 1973; Carlson & Schwertmann, 1981). Under these conditions the ferrihydrite is reasonably free of other charge-active minerals. The aim of this study was to find out if the pzc of these natural ferrihydrites differed from those of synthetic samples.