Structural role of Fe in the soil active glasses

Glasses of the SiO(2)-P(2)O(5)-K(2)O-MgO-CaO-Fe(2)O(3) system acting as slow release fertilizers were synthesized by the melt-quenching technique. The influence of iron addition on the structure of glasses was evaluated by FTIR spectroscopy (with spectra decomposition) and (57)Fe Mossbauer spectroscopy. The chemical activity of glasses in the 2 mass% citric acid solutions was measured by the ICP-AES method. It has been found that the formation of domains with structure similar to phosphates with chemically stable P-O-Fe(3+) and P-O-Fe(2+) bonds decreases the glass solubility under conditions simulating the soil environment. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.