Sorption Properties of Cobalt-Bearing Ferromanganese Crusts on the Kocebu Guyot of the Magellan Seamounts Relative to Rare-Earth Metal Cations

Abstract

The results of experimental studies of the sorption properties of ferromanganese crusts on the Kocebu Guyot relative to rare-earth metal (REM) cations are presented. It is established that the crusts are a natural, highly selective sorbent of REM cations. The REM cations are adsorbed on ore minerals (Fe-vernadite, vernadite, Mn-feroxyhyte, and goethite). The crusts are characterized by a high exchange capacity (1.67‒3.28 mg-equiv/g), which increases in the series: Lu < Gd < Dy < La, Sm < Nd < Y < Eu \( \ll \) Ce. The REM cations are adsorbed by the ion-exchange equivalent mechanism—in the case of Ce³⁺ cations, according to the superequivalent mechanism with respect to cations of the exchange complex of ore minerals—Na⁺, K⁺, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, Mn²⁺, and Ni²⁺, which contribute 95–98% to the total capacity of minerals.