SOLUBILITY OF SILICA POLYMORPHS IN ELECTROLYTE SOLUTIONS, I. ACTIVITY COEFFICIENT OF AQUEOUS SILICA FROM 25° TO 250°C, PITZERS PARAMETERISATION

Abstract

Within the framework of Pitzer's specific interaction model, interaction parameters for aqueous silica in concentrated electrolyte solutions have been derived from Marshall and co-authors amorphous silica solubility measurements. The values, at 25°C, of the Pitzer interaction parameter (λSiO2(aq)−i) determined in this study are the following: 0.092 (i = Na+), 0.032 (K+), 0.165 (Li+), 0.292 (Ca2+, Mg2+), −0.139 (SO42−), and −0.009 (NO3−). A set of polynomial equations has been derived which can be used to calculate λSiO2(aq)−i for these ions at any temperature up to 250°C. A linear relationship between the aqueous silica-ion interaction parameters (λSiO2(aq)−i) and the surface electrostatic field () of ions was obtained. This empirical equation can be used to estimate, in first approximation, λSiO2(aq)−i if no measurements are available. From this parameterisation, the calculated activity coefficient of aqueous silica is 2.52 at 25°C and 1.45 at 250°C in 5 m NaCl solution. At lower concentrations, e.g. 2 m NaCl, the activity coefficient of silica is 1.45 at 25°C and 1.2 at 250°C. Hence, in practice, it is necessary to take into account the activity coefficient of aqueous silica (λSiO2(aq)≠1) in hydrothermal solutions and basinal brines where the ionic strength exceeds 1. A comparison of measured [Marshall, W.L., Chen, C.-T.A., 1982. Amorphous silica solubilities, V. Prediction of solubility behaviour in aqueous mixed electrolyte solutions to 300°C. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 46, 289–291.] and computed amorphous silica solubility, using this parameterisation, shows a good agreement. Because the effect of individual ions on silicate and silica polymorph solubilities are additive, the present study has permitted to derive Pitzer interaction parameters that allow a precise computation of γSiO2(aq) in the Na-K-Ca-Mg-Cl-SO4-HCO3-SiO2-H2O system, over a large range of salt concentrations and up to temperatures of 250°C.