The kinetics of zinc dissolution in nitric acid

The dissolution of zinc in 0.48–1.49M HNO3 was studied at 15–25°C, by following simultaneously the concentration changes of the reactants (Zn and HNO3), intermediate (HNO2) and product (Zn2+) with time. Explicit mechanisms were suggested for the dissolution of zinc in nitric acid. The kinetics of the dissolution process show that it is of the first-order with respect to [Zn] and [HNO2]. The data obtained show that the dissolution process is diffusion-controlled. The mechanism of zinc dissolution is compared with the mechanism of copper dissolution.