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Au-Sb association and fractionation in micro-disseminated gold deposits, southwestern Guizhou—geochemistry and thermodynamics

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Abstract

The dual geochemical character of paragenesis and fractionation between gold, arsenic and antimony in micro-disseminated gold deposits in southwestern Guizhou is discussed in terms of spatial distribution of independent deposits, lateral and vertical enrichment, mineralization stage and factor and correlation analyses. Thermodynamic calculations of solubility and speciation of gold and antimony minerals indicate that gold is transported in hydrothermal solution as Au(HS)- 2 and antimony is mainly as Sb (OH) 03 although HSb2S4 may be of increasing importance in acid environment at low temperatures during the late stage of mineralization. Changes in physicochemical conditions hold the key to the association and fractionation between gold and antimony. Gold and antimony response differently to physicochemical variations because they are distinct from each other in soluble speciation and mineral solubility, leading to precipitation at different times and localities during hydrothermal evolution.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 550002, Guiyang, China

    Laimin Zhu & Ruizhong Hu

  2. No. 3 Institute of Oceanography, State Ocean Bureau of China, 361005, Xiamen, China

    Laimin Zhu

Authors
  1. Laimin Zhu
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  2. Ruizhong Hu
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Zhu, L., Hu, R. Au-Sb association and fractionation in micro-disseminated gold deposits, southwestern Guizhou—geochemistry and thermodynamics. Sci. China Ser. D-Earth Sci. 43, 208–216 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02878151

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02878151

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