Sorption of Inorganic Phosphate by Iron‐ and Aluminium‐ Containing Components

Summary The amounts of inorganic P sorbed by a range of Fe‐ and Al‐ containing components varied appreciably and decreased in the order allophane > fresh Al gel > Fe gel pseudoboehmite > aged Al gel > dried Fe gel > Fe‐coated kaolinite > haematite > goethite > akaganeite > gibbsite = ground kaolinite > dispersed kaolinite. Al gel sorbed 30 to 70 times more P than gibbsite, and Fe gel sorbed approximately 10 times more P than its crystalline analogues (haematite, goethite. and akaganeite). Despite large differences in the extent of P sorption, the form of the isotherm was essentially the same for each sorbent. The ability of freshly‐prepared Al gel suspensions to sorb P decreased with ageing, a property not shown by Fe gel. Drying of Fe gel at 80°C, however, caused an approximately 4‐fold decrease in P sorption. Precipitation of Fe gel (2% Fe) on the surface of kaolinite increased P sorption by a factor of 10. The occurrence of Fe gel as a coating apparently presents more sorption sites to solution per unit weight of Fe gel than Fe gel alone. A linear relationship ( r = 0.98) was obtained between the amount OH − sorbed per unit increase in pH value (‘hydroxyl buffering’) and the overall P sorption maximum for each sorbent. Hydroxyl buffering provided a better index of P sorption potential than specific surface area. Except for the crystalline Fe sorbents, isotherms obtained by plotting fractional sorption saturation against final solution P concentration for the sorbents were essentially coincident with those for several contrasting soils. For crystalline Fe components a lower relative amount of weaker sorption, as opposed to chemisorption, of the overall sorption maximum was obtained. Differences in the extent of P sorption. however, appear to be primarily related to the number of functional M‐OH groups presented at the solid‐solution interface.