3D empirical mineral dissolution model of galena (PbS) in ethaline solution

Mineral dissolution is an important process that occurs in both natural as well as anthropogenic processes. The kinetics of such dissolution processes are influenced not only by the characteristics of the solution but also by the characteristics of the minerals, such as crystal defects on the microscopic scale or macroscopic features such as the intersection of crystal planes to form edges and corners. Macroscopic features are known to increase the population of steps and kinks that may, in turn, affect the dissolution rate over time. Hence, this study presents a 3D empirical dissolution model aimed at examining the time-series evolution of macroscopic features together with the corresponding changes in the dissolution rate under far from equilibrium batch reactor conditions. The developed empirical model is based on the mineral geometry (surface topography and volume) derived from X-ray computed tomography (CT) measurements. The macroscopic features are identified using surface curvature which are then used to generate reactivity maps for dissolution model. As a study case, the dissolution of monomineralic galena (PbS) in ethaline and iodine as oxidizing agent is experimentally observed and then modelled. The model is then applied to seven particles of various shapes and sizes. The finding suggests that the surface reactivity increases over time as the particle shrinks and the macroscale steps and edges become dominant over the initial terraces. This implies that the persistent highly reactive surface sites defined by a particle’s geometry may play a dominant role in the overall particle dissolution in addition to the dissolution mechanisms typically studied on near atomic-flat surfaces. The model developed in this investigation offers the opportunity to be extended providing the possibility of simulating the dissolution of multi-mineral particles during batch dissolution experiments.