Dissolution Kinetics of Mineral Surfaces
Summary
Understanding the rate at which minerals dissolve at solid–fluid interfaces is fundamental to processes ranging from rock weathering and soil formation to carbon sequestration and contaminant transport. Dissolution kinetics are governed by chemical affinity, surface morphology, crystallographic orientation, fluid composition and transport conditions. High‐resolution microscopy and controlled‐flow reactors have revealed that rates vary spatially across a surface, driven by the density of reactive sites, the nucleation and propagation of etch pits and the dynamic evolution of effective surface area. Contemporary kinetic models integrate atomistic mechanistic insights with surface heterogeneity and transport limitations to predict dissolution under near‐equilibrium and far‐from‐equilibrium conditions. These advances underpin improved geochemical and environmental simulations, informing projections of the global carbon cycle, groundwater quality and industrial reactor design.
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Dissolution Kinetics of Mineral Surfaces publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in dissolution kinetics of mineral surfaces across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Chemical affinity: The difference in Gibbs free energy between the mineral and the contacting solution that drives or inhibits dissolution reactions.
Etch pit: A nanoscale cavity that develops on a mineral surface where atoms are preferentially removed, often acting as initiation sites for further dissolution.
Reactive site density: The concentration of surface sites (atoms, defects or steps) available for reaction with fluid, directly influencing the overall dissolution rate.
Kinetic Monte Carlo model: A stochastic computational method that simulates individual bond‐breaking and formation events over time to predict nanoscale dissolution behaviour.
Periodic bond chain (PBC) theory: A crystallographic framework that predicts the relative stability and dissolution propensity of crystal faces based on the arrangement and strength of repeat bonding patterns.
References
- Mechanisms controlling albite dissolution/precipitation kinetics as a function of chemical affinity: New insights from experiments in 29Si spiked solutions at 150 and 180 °C. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta (2024).
- Does crystallographic anisotropy prevent the conventional treatment of aqueous mineral reactivity? A case study based on K-feldspar dissolution kinetics. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta (2016).
- Influence of etch pit development on the surface area and dissolution kinetics of the orthoclase (001) surface. Chemical Geology (2016).
- New Kinetic Monte Carlo Model to Study the Dissolution of Quartz. ACS Earth and Space Chemistry (2021).
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