Abstract:The solubility of natural hemimorphite in ammonium sulfate solution was measured by isothermal solution method at 25 °C and the dissolved residue of hemimorphite was investigated by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) methods. The results show that zinc and silica in hemimorphite simultaneously dissolve in ammonium sulfate solution. The solubility of zinc in solution increases rapidly from 4.5381 mmol/kg in 0.5469 mol/kg ammonium sulfate solution to 11.5083 mmol/kg in 3.7038 mol/kg ammonium sulfate solution. The solubility of silica in solution increases slowly from 2.5509 mmol/kg in 0.5469 mol/kg ammonium sulfate solution to 7.2891 mmol/kg in 3.7038 mol/kg ammonium sulfate solution. The dissolved residue is the characteristic of hemimorphite Zn₄Si₂O₇(OH)₂·H₂O based on the results of the XRD, SEM and FTIR. Thus, no phase transition occurs in the dissolution process of hemimorphite in ammonium sulfate solution.

Key words: hemimorphite; ammonium sulfate; silicic acid; solubility