Sorption of Y3+, La3+, and Ce3+ Cations in the Co-Bearing Manganese Crusts on the Magellan Seamounts and Marcus-Wake Rise, Pacific Ocean

Abstract

It has been established that the Co-bearing manganese crusts and crust‒nodule formations in Pacific gyouts are natural, highly selective sorbents of REM (Ce³⁺, Y³⁺, La³⁺) cations. Exchange capacity of ore minerals (vernadite, Fe-vernadite, and Mn-feroxyhyte) increases in the series La³⁺ < Y³⁺ < Co²⁺ < Ce³⁺ and its mean value increases from 1.67 (La³⁺) to 2.84 (Ce³⁺) mg-equiv/g, which is a high indicator for the natural mineral ion exchangers. In the course of sorption, ore minerals of crusts display a higher selectivity to Ce³⁺ cations than to Y³⁺ and La³⁺cations. Age of ore minerals does not influence their sorption properties relative to REM cations.