HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Cothern, C. R. Articles by Zamierowski, E. E. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Cothern, C. R. Articles by Zamierowski, E. E. Agricola Articles by Cothern, C. R. Articles by Zamierowski, E. E.

Compounds of Zinc and Copper in Sewage Sludge Determined by Electron Spectroscopy¹

ABSTRACT

Electron Spectroscopy for Chemical Analysis (ESCA) was used to provide information concerning the chemical bonding of zinc and copper present in the sludge obtained from the Dayton, Ohio sewage treatment plant. The binding energy of the Zn 2p_3/2 electron in sludge when placed under a vacuum of 10^–7 Torr was 1023.8 ± 0.2 eV and the binding energy of the Cu 2p_3/2 electron in the sludge under similar conditions was 937.2 ± 0.3 eV. These energies are characteristic of both Zn and Cu being in the positive two oxidation state. The electronegativity of the ligand attached to either of these metals was found to be 3.5 ± 0.1 on the Pauling scale. This indicates that Zn and Cu exist in similar compounds, that the ligand binding site is oxygen, and that the possible compounds include carbonate, carboxylate, phosphate, nitrate, silicate, and/or oxide. ESCA, when used in conjunction with other methods, offers excellent potential for more specifically identifying the chemical form of metal in sludge or sludge mixtures.

Key Words: molecule identification • compound identification • chemistry • analytical chemistry • electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis (ESCA) • photoelectron spectroscopy

¹ This project was supported by the Univ. of Dayton, Dayton, OH 45469, the Office of Water Resour. Res. and Technol. of the Dep. of the Interior and Nat. Sci. Found. Grant No. CHE 76-05462.

² Associate Professor of Physics, Undergraduate physics student, Associate Professor of Geology, and Research Associate (Biol. Dep.), respectively, Univ. of Dayton, Ohio.

³ Research Chemist, Res. Inst., and Adjunct Professor of Chemistry, Univ. of Dayton, Ohio.

Received for publication July 12, 1976.