Layered hydrous manganese dioxide saturated with alkaline-earth cations: Synthesis and sorption properties

Layered compounds based on hydrous manganese dioxides (hereafter, Mn-phases) saturated with alkaline-earth cations were synthesized at 3–6°C. These phases are analogues of manganese minerals from oceanic iron-manganese sediments (vernadite, birnessite, buserite-I, an asbolan-like phase, and a hybrid phase). All the Mn-phases, as a rule, had poorly ordered structures. The sorption properties of these phases were studied with respect to alkali-metal cations (Na⁺, K⁺), an s-metal cation (Ba²⁺), a p-metal cation (Pb²⁺), and d-metal cations (Mn²⁺, Co²⁺, Ni²⁺, Cu²⁺, Zn²⁺ and Cd²⁺). The exchange capacities of the Mn-phases were 0.45–1.06 mg-equiv/g for the alkali cations and 0.94–5.78 mg-equiv/g for the other cations. The phase composition of the Mn-phase did not affect the alkali cation sorption but affected the divalent cation sorption. The divalent cation exchange capacity increased from well-ordered birnessite to poorly ordered vernadite.