Sorption/Desorption

Chemical reactions by which certain metals (e.g., Cu, Zn, Mn) and anions (e.g., phosphate and sulphate) form/break chemical bonds within the coordination shell of atoms comprising the mineral structure. Reaction kinetics are on the order of minutes to hours to reach sorption equilibrium; however, from the desorption point of view, the reaction is often not completely reversible.