Diffusion with hydrolysis and ion association in aqueous solutions of beryllium sulfate

Taylor dispersion is used to measure mutual diffusion coefficients for aqueous solutions of beryllium sulfate at concentrations from 0.005 to 1 mol-L^–1 at 25°C. Least-squares analysis of the dispersion profiles shows that diffusion of the partially hydrolyzed salt produces a small additional flow of sulfuric acid, about 0.04 mol sulfuric acid per mole of total beryllium sulfate. Ternary diffusion coefficients measured for the aqueous BeSO₄–H₂SO₄ system are qualitatively consistent with Nernst-Planck predictions based on the formation of beryllium sulfate ion pairs, bisulfate ions, and the hydrolysis equilibria 2Be²⁺+H₂O= Be₂OH³⁺+H⁺, 3Be²⁺+2H₂O=Be₃(OH)₂⁴⁺+2H⁺. Except for very dilute solutions, the predicted flow of sulfuric acid is small compared to the flow of beryllium sulfate because most of the beryllium ions are protected from hydrolysis by the formation of BeSO₄ ion pairs, and most of the hydrogen ions produced by hydrolysis are converted to less-mobile bisulfate ions.