Alkaline Decomposition Kinetics in Ca(OH)2 Medium of Mercury Jarosite

Mercury in jarosites is crucial for environmental management and metallurgy. These minerals can incorporate highly toxic heavy metals from mining waste into their structure. This study analyzes the decomposition of mercury jarosite in a Ca(OH)2 medium, focusing on its topological, kinetic, and modeling characteristics. Topological analysis, XRD and SEM−EDS were performed. ICP−OES was used to analyze the mercury and sulfur ions diffusing from the mercury jarosite into the Ca(OH)2 solution. The kinetic model that best fit the data was that of spherical particles of constant size with an unreacted core under chemical control. The XRD results did not show new crystallographic phases. SEM−EDS showed a partially decomposed particle indicating a halo and core. The experimental conditions included temperatures from 298.15 to 333.15 K, concentrations of 0.0071–0.23210 mol L−1 Ca(OH)2, particle diameters of 25–53 µm, and pH of 11.12–12.85. During the induction period, reaction orders of 1.04 and 0.44 were obtained, along with an activation energy of 77.580 kJ mol−1. For the progressive conversion period, the reaction orders were 0.59 and 0.15, with an activation energy of 52.124 kJ mol−1. The overall kinetic modeling showed favorable results, supporting the evolutionary process of the mercury jarosite decomposition reaction in an alkaline medium under different conditions. This allows prediction of when mercury could be released back into the environment in alkaline soils or lime barriers.