METAL-ORGANIC COMPLEXES IN GEOCHEMICAL PROCESSES: ESTIMATION OF STANDARD PARTIAL MOLAL THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES OF AQUEOUS COMPLEXES BETWEEN METAL CATIONS AND MONOVALENT ORGANIC ACID LIGANDS AT HIGH PRESSURES AND TEMPERATURES

Abstract

Regression of standard state equilibrium constants with the revised Helgeson-Kirkham-Flowers (HKF) equation of state allows evaluation of standard partial molal entropies (<°) of aqueous metal-organic complexes involving monovalent organic acid ligands. These values of <° provide the basis for correlations that can be used, together with correlation algorithms among standard partial molal properties of aqueous complexes and equation-of-state parameters, to estimate thermodynamic properties including equilibrium constants for complexes between aqueous metals and several monovalent organic acid ligands at the elevated pressures and temperatures of many geochemical processes which involve aqueous solutions. Data, parameters, and estimates are given for 279 formate, propanoate, n-butanoate, n-pentanoate, glycolate, lactate, glycinate, and alanate complexes, and a consistent algorithm is provided for making other estimates. Standard partial molal entropies of association (Δ<°r) for metal-monovalent organic acid ligand complexes fall into at least two groups dependent upon the type of functional groups present in the ligand. It is shown that isothermal correlations among equilibrium constants for complex formation are consistent with one another and with similar correlations for inorganic metal-ligand complexes. Additional correlations allow estimates of standard partial molal Gibbs free energies of association at 25°C and 1 bar which can be used in cases where no experimentally derived values are available.