Skip to Main Content
Skip Nav Destination
GEOREF RECORD

Mechanisms and species of gold incorporation into crystals of cadmium, lead, and iron sulfides

V. L. Tauson, N. V. Smagunov, V. V. Akimov and V. A. Datkov
Mechanisms and species of gold incorporation into crystals of cadmium, lead, and iron sulfides
Russian Geology and Geophysics (August 2008) 49 (8): 594-601

Abstract

The mechanisms and species of gold incorporation into crystals of simple sulfides are described. The concept of endocrypty in its modern treatment and the corresponding technique of experimental study were used. The technique is based on the principle of phase composition correlation and variation of parameters specifying the concentrations of active crystal defects. Gold species are determined with the method of statistical samples of analytical data for single crystals (SSADSC). The highest gold incorporation limits have been established for PbS and CdS under high sulfur fugacity (2.4.10 (super -2) and 7.10 (super -3) wt.%, respectively) at 500 degrees C and 1 kbar. It is shown that in this case, the main crystal defects are metal (Me) vacancies and the gold species is a donor-acceptor pair "Me vacancy-interstitial Au". Under low sulfur fugacity, Au incorporation might be due to sulfur vacancies, and the gold species is a pair "Au in the Me position-S vacancy"; its concentrations are lower than those at high sulfur fugacity (< or =10 (super -3) wt.%). A specific feature of gold is a tendency to endocrypty. The estimated limiting contents of gold incorporated into sulfide crystals (FeS (sub 2) , CdS, PbS) at 450-500 degrees C vary from n.10 (super -4) to n.10 (super -2) wt.%, which is nearly two orders of magnitude higher than the "true" isomorphous capacities of these crystals. For FeS, the incorporation limit of Au does not depend on defects (Fe vacancies). This phenomenon has not been explained yet. In general, the data obtained show that not only the crystallochemical features but also geochemical parameters (first of all, temperature and sulfur fugacity) of the ore formation medium are the main factors for gold concentration in sulfide minerals.


ISSN: 1068-7971
Serial Title: Russian Geology and Geophysics
Serial Volume: 49
Serial Issue: 8
Title: Mechanisms and species of gold incorporation into crystals of cadmium, lead, and iron sulfides
Affiliation: Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Geochemistry, Irkutsk, Russian Federation
Pages: 594-601
Published: 200808
Text Language: English
Publisher: Allerton Press, New York, NY, United States
References: 42
Accession Number: 2021-062714
Categories: General geochemistry
Document Type: Serial
Bibliographic Level: Analytic
Illustration Description: illus. incl. 3 tables
Country of Publication: United States
Secondary Affiliation: GeoRef, Copyright 2021, American Geosciences Institute. Reference includes data from GeoScienceWorld, Alexandria, VA, United States
Update Code: 2021
Close Modal

or Create an Account

Close Modal
Close Modal