Investigations of the hydrolysis of zirconium(IV) by the help of electromigration in free electrolytic solutions using 95Zr

The hydrolysis of Zr(IV) compounds was investigated using the horizontal zone electromigration method and zirconium 95 as a tracer. The ion mobility of Zr(IV) was measured for the both concentrations of cZr = 1 · 10-8 M and cZr = 4 · 10-3 M detecting the 95Zr-γ-rays at 298 K as a function of pH. At the lower concentration of Zr ions the hydrolysis constants of Zr ions were determined for the mononuclear hydroxides Zr(OH)i(4-i)+ (i = 1 ... 4). At the higher concentration (cZr = 4 · 10-3 M) polynuclear cationic species are formed. (author)