Synthesis of crystalline americium hydroxide, Am(OH){sub 3}, and determination of its enthalpy of formation; estimation of the solubility-product constants of actinide(III) hydroxides
This paper reports a new synthesis of pure, microcrystalline Am(OH){sub 3}, its characterization by x-ray powder diffraction and infrared spectroscopy, and the calorimetric determination of its enthalpy of solution in dilute hydrochloric acid. From the enthalpy of solution the enthalpy of formation of Am(OH){sub 3} has been calculated to be {minus}1371.2{plus_minus}7.9 kj{center_dot}mol{sup {minus}1}, which represents the first experimental determination of an enthalpy of formation of any actinide hydroxide. The free energy of formation and solubility product constant of Am(OH){sub 3} (K{sub sp} = 7 {times} 10{sup {minus}31}) have been calculated from our enthalpy of formation and entropy estimates and are compared with literature measurements under near-equilibrium conditions. Since many properties of the tripositive lanthanide and actinide ions (e.g., hydrolysis, complex-ion formation, and thermochemistry) change in a regular manner, these properties can be interpreted systematically in terms of ionic size. This paper compares the thermochemistry of Am(OH){sub 3} with thermochemical studies of lanthanide hydroxides. A combined structural and acid-base model is used to explain the systematic differences in enthalpies of solution between the oxides and hydroxides of the 4f{sup n} and 5f{sup n} subgroups and to predict solubility-product constants for the actinide(III) hydroxides of Pu through Cf.
- Research Organization:
- Argonne National Lab., IL (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-31109-ENG-38
- OSTI ID:
- 10114380
- Report Number(s):
- ANL/CHM/CP-78883; CONF-931201-11; ON: DE94005118
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 4. international conference on chemistry and migration behavior of actinides and fission products in the geosphere,Charleston, SC (United States),12-17 Dec 1993; Other Information: PBD: [1993]
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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