Abstract
While noble metals often occur as minor components in host minerals in various ore deposits, little theoretical assessment exists to predict the occurrence of these metals. Here, we probe the fundamental controls responsible for the occurrence of trace elements in host minerals through first-principles calculations. We apply the theoretical model to understanding the debated issues concerning the occurrence of gold (Au) in pyrite, in which the valence of Au is ascribed to either positive or negative values. Our results indicate that (1) both positive and negative valent Au may occur in pyrite and (2) higher sulfur fugacity and lower temperature lead to more Au+ occupying Fe sites in pyrite. These findings suggest that chemical states and speciation of the Au in host pyrite are ultimately controlled by temperature and sulfur fugacity, providing insight into the formation conditions of ore deposits and facilitating strategy design for beneficiation.
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© 2023 Mineralogical Society of America
Articles in the same Issue
- MSA Review
- Nickel in olivine as an exploration indicator for magmatic Ni-Cu sulfide deposits: A data review and re-evaluation
- Repeat, fast, and high-resolution mapping of fine-scale trace element distribution in pyrite and marcasite by LA-Q-ICP-MS with the Aerosol Rapid Introduction System (ARIS)
- Continuous Be mineralization from two-mica granite to pegmatite: Critical element enrichment processes in a Himalayan leucogranite pluton
- An evolutionary system of mineralogy, Part VI: Earth’s earliest Hadean crust (>4370 Ma)
- Oxidation or cation re-arrangement? Distinct behavior of riebeckite at high temperature
- Fe3+/FeT ratios of amphiboles determined by high spatial resolution single-crystal synchrotron Mössbauer spectroscopy
- How clay delamination supports aseismic slip
- The influence of Al2O3 on the structural properties of MgSiO3 akimotoite
- Atomistic insight into the ferroelastic post-stishovite transition by high-pressure single-crystal X-ray diffraction
- Epidote as a conveyor of water into the Earth’s deep mantle in subduction zones: Insights from coupled high-pressure and high-temperature experiments
- Potential link between antigorite dehydration and shallow intermediate-depth earthquakes in hot subduction zones
- Stability of Fe5O6 and its relation to other Fe-Mg-oxides at high pressures and temperatures
- From schwertmannite to natrojarosite: Long-term stability and kinetic approach
- Trace element and isotopic (S, Pb) constraints on the formation of the giant Chalukou porphyry Mo deposit, NE China
- Textural and chemical evolution of magnetite from the Paleozoic Shuanglong Fe-Cu deposit: Implications for tracing ore-forming fluids
- Jingwenite-(Y) from the Yushui Cu deposit, South China: The first occurrence of a V-HREE-bearing silicate mineral
- Wenjiite, Ti10(Si,P,◻)7, and kangjinlaite, Ti11(Si,P)10, new minerals in the ternary Ti-P-Si system from the Luobusa ophiolite, Tibet, China
- Evaluating the physicochemical conditions for gold occurrences in pyrite
- Letter
- Synthesis and structural analysis of CaFe2O4-type single crystals in the NaAlSiO4-MgAl2O4-Fe3O4 system
Articles in the same Issue
- MSA Review
- Nickel in olivine as an exploration indicator for magmatic Ni-Cu sulfide deposits: A data review and re-evaluation
- Repeat, fast, and high-resolution mapping of fine-scale trace element distribution in pyrite and marcasite by LA-Q-ICP-MS with the Aerosol Rapid Introduction System (ARIS)
- Continuous Be mineralization from two-mica granite to pegmatite: Critical element enrichment processes in a Himalayan leucogranite pluton
- An evolutionary system of mineralogy, Part VI: Earth’s earliest Hadean crust (>4370 Ma)
- Oxidation or cation re-arrangement? Distinct behavior of riebeckite at high temperature
- Fe3+/FeT ratios of amphiboles determined by high spatial resolution single-crystal synchrotron Mössbauer spectroscopy
- How clay delamination supports aseismic slip
- The influence of Al2O3 on the structural properties of MgSiO3 akimotoite
- Atomistic insight into the ferroelastic post-stishovite transition by high-pressure single-crystal X-ray diffraction
- Epidote as a conveyor of water into the Earth’s deep mantle in subduction zones: Insights from coupled high-pressure and high-temperature experiments
- Potential link between antigorite dehydration and shallow intermediate-depth earthquakes in hot subduction zones
- Stability of Fe5O6 and its relation to other Fe-Mg-oxides at high pressures and temperatures
- From schwertmannite to natrojarosite: Long-term stability and kinetic approach
- Trace element and isotopic (S, Pb) constraints on the formation of the giant Chalukou porphyry Mo deposit, NE China
- Textural and chemical evolution of magnetite from the Paleozoic Shuanglong Fe-Cu deposit: Implications for tracing ore-forming fluids
- Jingwenite-(Y) from the Yushui Cu deposit, South China: The first occurrence of a V-HREE-bearing silicate mineral
- Wenjiite, Ti10(Si,P,◻)7, and kangjinlaite, Ti11(Si,P)10, new minerals in the ternary Ti-P-Si system from the Luobusa ophiolite, Tibet, China
- Evaluating the physicochemical conditions for gold occurrences in pyrite
- Letter
- Synthesis and structural analysis of CaFe2O4-type single crystals in the NaAlSiO4-MgAl2O4-Fe3O4 system