Abstract
This paper reports on two developments of interest to extractive metallurgists: how the knowledge of the vapors over tellurium minerals can be used to develop better processing methods and how graphite furnace atomic absorption, used at moderate temperatures, can be used to characterize the vapors over ore minerals. Elemental tellurium, Ag2Te, and AuTe2 were studied from 250°C through 1050°C. The vapors over these solids were analyzed in-situ by placing the solids directly into the graphite furnace of an atomic absorption spectrophotometer and adjusting the temperature accordingly. Atomic Ag, Au, and Te and molecular Te were analyzed in the vapor above the solids. Using absorbance versus temperature data, Clausius-Clapeyron plots were made to determine how the solids were changing.
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Additional information
Sonia Helle received her M.S. in geochemistry in 1975 from the University of Concepcion in Chile. She is currently assistant professor of geochemistry at the University of Concepcion.
Thomas Wildeman received his Ph.D. in physical chemistry in 1967 from the University of Wisconsin in Madison. He is currently professor of chemistry and geochemistry at the Colorado School of Mines in Golden, Colorado.
Baki Yarar received his Ph.D., DIC, in surface chemistry in 1969 from the Imperial College, University of London. He is currently professor of metallurgical engineering at the Colorado School of Mines in Golden, Colorado. Dr. Yarar is also a member of TMS.
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Helle, S., Wildeman, T. & Yarar, B. Vapor Species Over Te Precious Metal Minerals. JOM 39, 14–17 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03258088
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03258088