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Formation of nano- or near-nanoparticles via oxidation in the Dabaoshan concealed deposit, Guangdong Province

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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 near-nanoparticles 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.

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Acknowledgements

We thank a number of technical staff for assistance during this study. Comments and suggestions from the journal’s anonymous reviewers greatly improved the quality of the manuscript.

Funding

This work is supported by the National Key R&D Program of China (Grant No. 2016YFC0600602).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Earth Sciences and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China

    Rui Liu, Jianjin Cao, Yongkang Deng, Guoqiang Wang & Xiang Liu

  2. Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Mineral Resources and Geological Processes, Guangzhou, 510275, China

    Rui Liu, Jianjin Cao, Yongkang Deng, Guoqiang Wang & Xiang Liu

  3. Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Geodynamics and Geohazards, Guangzhou, 510275, China

    Rui Liu, Jianjin Cao, Yongkang Deng, Guoqiang Wang & Xiang Liu

  4. Southern Laboratory of Ocean Science and Engineering (Zhuhai), Zhuhai, 519000, China

    Rui Liu, Jianjin Cao, Yongkang Deng, Guoqiang Wang & Xiang Liu

Authors
  1. Rui Liu
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  2. Jianjin Cao
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  3. Yongkang Deng
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  4. Guoqiang Wang
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  5. Xiang Liu
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Correspondence to Jianjin Cao.

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Responsible Editor: Domenico M. Doronzo

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Liu, R., Cao, J., Deng, Y. et al. Formation of nano- or near-nanoparticles via oxidation in the Dabaoshan concealed deposit, Guangdong Province. Arab J Geosci 13, 1061 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-020-06057-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-020-06057-4

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