Isotopic exchange between manganese hydroxide and manganese ions in aqueous solution

Heterogeneous isotopic exchange between manganese hydroxide and manganese ions in aqueous solutions tagged with radioactive⁵⁴Mn has been studied at different values of α, the ratio of the quantity of exchangeable ions in the solid phase to that in the liquid phase. The aging of the precipitate in its mother liquor prior to the exchange has a significant effect on both the extent and rate of the exchange reaction. A marked feature of great interest is the appearance of two aging-times, one at about 10² and the other at about 10⁴ min. The overall reaction appears to be of the consecutive type. In the case of a fresh precipitate, “complex-surface-exchange” and “self-diffusion” mechanisms are the most probable rate-determining steps in the initial and final stages of the reaction, respectively. “Complex-surface-exchange” is a new suggested mechanism. In the case of a well-aged precipitate, “surface-exchange” and ‘self-diffusion” mechanisms are the most probable-determining steps in the initial and final stages of the reaction, respectively.