Thermal stabilization of chromium(VI) in kaolin.

Reduction of Cr(VI) by heating may be a useful detoxification mechanism for thermal immobilization. Using X-ray absorption spectroscopy, the change of speciation of chromium in 105 degrees C dried 3.7% Cr(VI)-sorbed kaolin further heated at 500, 900, or 1100 degrees C was studied. The 105 degrees C dried 3.7% Cr(VI)-sorbed kaolin sample was prepared by mixing 1.5 L of 0.257 M CrO3 solution (pH 0.71) with 0.5 kg of kaolin powder for 48 h, and then the slurry was heated (dried) at 105 degrees C until a constant weight was reached. The toxicity characteristic leaching procedure method was used to determine the percentage of leached chromium from all heated samples. In all 500-900 degrees C heated Cr(VI)-sorbed kaolin samples, Cr2O3 transformed from the hydrated Cr(VI) by a 4-h heat application was identified by the X-ray absorption near edge structure and extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy as the key species that is leaching-resistant due to its low solubility. For the 1100 degrees C heated Cr(VI)-sorbed kaolin sample, the Fourier transform of its EXAFS spectrum indicates that the intensity of the peaks at 2.45 (Cr-Cr shell of Cr2O3) and 5.00 A (Cr-Cr and Cr-O shells of Cr2O3) without phase shift correction is either relatively smaller or disappearing, compared with that of the 500-900 degrees C heated Cr(VI)-sorbed kaolin samples. It is suggested that chromium octahedra were bridged to silica tetrahedra and incorporated in minerals formed at 1100 degrees C, such as mullite or sillimanite, since these phases were detected by XRD. Cr of this form is not easily leached.