9314824 Wood The principal objectives of this high-risk project are to test and refine two promising spectroscopic techniques for use in hydrothermal studies of REE complexes. The first technique involves use of nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to study La chloride complexes using 139La over a range of concentrations, temperatures, and pH. The second technique involves pulsed photoacoustic spectroscopy to study Nd and Er chloride complexes under similar conditions. Successful development of these techniques will allow for rapid advances in characterization of high temperature metal complexes, especially REE complexes, in hydrothermal solutions. The techniques will find application in studies of REE mobility as relevant to radioactive waste disposal, petrogenetic tracers, development of REE resources, and the REE budget of the oceans.
