Synthetic aluminum-substituted maghemites were characterized by total chemical analysis, powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), Mössbauer spectroscopy (ME), and vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM). The aim was to determine the structural, magnetic, and hyperfine properties of γ-Fe2-xAlxO3 as the Al concentration is varied. The XRD results of the synthetic products were indexed exclusively as maghemite. Increasing Al for Fe substitution decreased the mean crystalline dimension and shifted all diffraction peaks to higher o2θ angles. The a0 dimension of the cubic unit cell decreased […]

Ni(II)-Fe(II)-Fe(III) layered double hydroxides (LDH) or Ni-containing sulfate green rust (GR2) samples were prepared from Ni(II), Fe(II) and Fe(III) sulfate salts and analyzed with X ray diffraction. Nickel is readily incorporated in the GR2 structure and forms a solid solution between GR2 and a Ni(II)-Fe(III) LDH. There is a correlation between the unit cell a-value and the fraction of Ni(II) incorporated into the Ni(II)-GR2 structure. Since there is strong evidence that the divalent/trivalent cation ratio in GR2 is fixed at […]

There have been several papers in the literature studying the genesis and consequences of particles cohesion in Argisols (Ultisols) and Latosols (Oxisols) from the Brazilian Inner and Coastal Plains. Just a few, however, provide insights into the clay fraction mineralogy, specially, the iron oxides complete characterization. The objective of this study was to investigate the chemical and crystallographic characteristics of iron oxides in red and yellow soils derived from the sediments of the Barreiras Formation or Pre-Cambrian rocks in the […]

In order to investigate the efficiency of sulfate green rust (GR2) to remove Ni from solution, GR2 samples were synthesized under controlled laboratory conditions. Some GR2 samples were synthesized from Fe(II) and Fe(III) sulfate salts by precipitation. Other samples were prepared by coprecipitation, of Ni(II), Fe(II) and Fe(III) sulfate salts, i.e., in the presence of Ni. In another sample, Ni(II) sulfate salt was added to pre-formed GR2. After an initial X-ray diffraction (XRD) characterization all samples were exposed to ambient […]