9.

6 SOLUBILITY OF AMORPHOUS Slt ICA 125

 100

HS-
RO

60

40

20

2 4 6 B to 12 14
pH
Figure 9.3 The pH dependence of the abundances of Shearing inns and molecules in a solution of 11.,Slatil
containing a fixed amount of Stn solution (equation 9.79) Note dial 11$ is dominant at pH c 70. HS dome
mum between pH - 7.0 and 129. and that S' is driminanl only at pH > 129 However. all of the ions are pre-
sent at all pH values even though their abundances may he mall compared to that of the dominant ton

In a very similar mannetsilicon dioxide reacts with
water in form silicic acid. such that at equilibrium:
SiO,(amorph.) a 2 Hp
K (984)
SiO, is a solid compound that can either he annr
phous or assume several different polymorphic
crystalline forms. including quartz. crismbaliie
and tridymite. Silicic acid actually forms as a result
of chemical weathering of the common rock-
forming aluminosilicate minerals such as the
feldspars and micas rather than by solution of ens-
talline or amorphous SiOz. I 'own-tr.when its solu-
bility $ exceeded. it forms amorphous silica, which
settles out slowly as a gelatinous precipitate (Ike.
19791. Given sufficient time. the precipitate expels
water and begins to crystallize. forming opal A and
opal CT as intermediate phases (Kastner et al..
1977). The process ends with the crystallization of a
erypionystalline variety of quartz called (hal.
eedony, which forms then or Quo and occurs in gen-
des as agate. Quartz is highly insoluble. and
dissolves in water only springly, even during long
periods of geologic time. Amorphous silica. howev-
er, is much more reactive and generally maintains
equilibrium with silicic acid.
We are now in a position in discuss the solo-
Many of amorphous silica based on equation 9.84
and on the dissociation of the silicic acid: