Formation of nano- or near-nanoparticles via oxidation in the Dabaoshan concealed deposit, Guangdong Province
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ORIGINAL PAPER
Formation of nano- or near-nanoparticles via oxidation in the Dabaoshan concealed deposit, Guangdong Province Rui Liu 1,2,3,4 & Jianjin Cao 1,2,3,4
&
Yongkang Deng 1,2,3,4 & Guoqiang Wang 1,2,3,4 & Xiang Liu 1,2,3,4
Received: 6 August 2020 / Accepted: 22 September 2020 # Saudi Society for Geosciences 2020
Abstract Natural particles have always been abundantly present since the Earth’s origin. Over the years, researchers have focused on natural particles coming from the Earth’s surface. However, in this paper, we establish, via transmission electron microscopy (TEM), that many nano- or near-nanoparticles also can be produced in a concealed deposit. Particles collected from the oxidation zone in the Dabaoshan polymetallic concealed deposit were 50–700 nm in size and contained elements among the most abundant in the Earth’s crust, such as O, Mg, K, Ca, Si, Al, Ti, Fe and P, and concealed ore body-related elements. Nearly all particles were found to have O and S, indicating that these nano- or near-nanoparticles were formed via oxidation of primary minerals in the concealed deposit. According to their crystal form and chemical compositions, these particles were grouped into three main categories: (i) particle with low O content (O < 10 wt.%), (ii) particle with moderate O content (30 wt.% > O > 10 wt.%) and (iii) particle with high O content (O > 30 wt.%). The crystal form and chemical compositions of particles can represent the degree of oxidation of primary minerals in the concealed deposit. Combining the close relationship with orebodies, nano- or nearnanoparticles can be used to be a useful prospecting method for deep-seated orebodies. Additionally, strong acids are also formed during the oxidation process that can destroy the ecosystem of the oxidation zone in the concealed deposit. Keywords Natural nano- or near-nanoparticles . Oxidation . Concealed deposit . Prospecting
Introduction Natural nano- or near-nanoparticles have been abundantly present since the Earth was formed and it has been shown that Earth’s system components are affected by the presence of nanoparticles due to their reactivity and potential to alter system characteristics, such as contaminant and nutrient mobility (Qafoku 2010). Natural nano- or near-nanoparticles are often overlooked Responsible Editor: Domenico M. Doronzo * Jianjin Cao [email protected] 1
School of Earth Sciences and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
2
Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Mineral Resources and Geological Processes, Guangzhou 510275, China
3
Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Geodynamics and Geohazards, Guangzhou 510275, China
4
Southern Laboratory of Ocean Science and Engineering (Zhuhai), Zhuhai 519000, China
compared with engineered nanoparticle (Griffin et al. 2018). Studies have shown that many natural nanoparticles can be found in various media (Hochella et al. 2008, 2019; Barker et al. 2009; Cao et al. 2009, 2010, 2017; Qafoku 2010; Ciobanu et al. 2011, 2012; Deditius et al. 2011; Pačevs
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