Discovery of Cu-Ni-Zn-Sn-Fe intermetallic compounds and S-bearing alloys in the Zhaishang gold deposit, southern Gansu Province and its geological significance

Abstract

Examination of ores by optical microscope and EPMA from the Zhaishang gold deposit, southernGansu Province, has revealed an abundance of rare minerals. These include native metals, Cu-Ni-Zn-Sn-Fe polymetallic compounds and S-bearing alloys of Ni, Fe, Zn, Cu and Sn, occurring as native nickel, Zn-Cu alloy, Ni-Zn-Cu alloy, Sn-Zn-Ni-Cu alloy, Zn-Cu-Ni alloy, Zn-Fe-Cu-Sn-Ni alloy, Fe-Ni-S alloy, Sn-Fe-Ni-S alloy, Fe-Zn-Cu-Ni-S alloy, Zn-Ni-Cu-Fe-S alloy and others. Compared with the Zn-Cu alloy minerals discovered previously, these Zn-Cu minerals fall in the Į or D+E portion in Zn-Cu alloy phase diagram, and the Į portion has higher Cu content. Cu-Ni-Zn-Sn-Fe intermetallic compounds and S-bearing alloy minerals have not been previously reported in the literature. These rare alloys formed in a strongly reducing environment with absent oxygen and low sulfur activities.gold deposit, native metal, polymetallic compound, S-bearing alloy, geological significance, Gansu Ever since Fe-Ni and Fe-Ni-Co alloys were found by Melville [1] in Oregon, the native metals and their intermetallic compounds of Fe-group elements, PGE, W-Mo group elements and sulfurized ore-forming metals have been described in lunar rock, aerolite, granite, ophiolite, kimberlite, lamproite, gabbro-diabase, quartz diorite, volcanic tuff and ore deposits of chromite, diamonds, asbestos, porphyry copper, cobalt, Cu-Ni sulfides, REE, gold, the oxidized zone of sulfides and residual talus. As examples, large quantities of native metals and alloys (Cu 2 Zn, Cu 2 Ni ) are hosted by ophiolite in the Far-east Koryak plateau [2 4] ; PGEs and their alloys are hosted by ophiolite and chromite in Kempirsai, Kazakstan [5] ; PGEs and their alloys hosted by the ophiolite complex and alluvium in New Caledonia [6] ; abundant Fe group elements, PGEs and Cu-Zn intermetallic compounds hosted by the quartz gold deposit of Sukhol Log in Russia [7] ; the metallic films on diamond hosted by kimberlite and lamproite; and large quantities of native metals and various of alloys such as Cu, Sn, Fe, Zn, Ni-Fe, Fe-Sn, Cu-Zn, Cu 2 Zn, Cu 3 Zn 2 , Cu 3 Sn, Cu-Zn-Pb and Pb-SnCu(Au) hosted by ultramafic rock and chromite in the northern margin of Russian platform [8] ; the Cu-Zn and Cu-Sn alloys in the Sumatra placer in India [9] ; and more than 200 native metals and intermetallic compound minerals summarized by Makeev et al. [10] in Alpine ophiolites. In China, many reports about the study of native elements and intermetallic compound were published [11] . There have been many examples of native elements (Cu, Zn, Ni, Fe, Sn) and their intermetallic compounds from producing areas in China. They are hosted by various rocks as follows: (1) aerolite; (2)

Discovery and significance of Cu–Zn intermetallic compounds in the Jingxi gold deposit, western Tianshan Mountains, NW China

“…At present, Cu–Zn intermetallics which have been reported in China include CuZn 2 (Danbaite; Yue et al ., ), CuZn (Zhanghengite; Wang, ), Cu 3 Zn (Li et al ., ), Cu 2 Zn (Lang et al ., ; Shuai et al ., ; Luo and Wang, ; Zhang et al ., ) and Cu 7 Zn 4 (Xiao et al ., ; Sun et al ., ). At the Zhaishang Au deposit (Gansu Province, PRC), a large number of other Cu–Zn intermetallics have also been reported, including α phase Zn–Cu intermetallic compound (Cu 0.88 Zn 0.11 Fe 0.01 ), α + β phase Zn–Cu intermetallic compound (Cu 0.58 Zn 0.35 Fe 0.04 Ni 0.03 ), Ni–Zn–Cu intermetallic compound (Cu 0.54 Zn 0.35 Ni 0.08 Fe 0.03 ), Zn–Ni–Cu intermetallic compound (Cu 0.42 Ni 0.30 Zn 0.26 Fe 0.02 ) and Sn–Zn–Ni–Cu intermetallic compound (Cu 0.42 Ni 0.26 Zn 0.23 Sn 0.07 Fe 0.02 ) (Liu et al ., ).…”

“…Ever since the first discovery of Cu-Zn intermetallics in lunar rock (Apollo-11) (Agrell et al, 1970), various natural Cu-Zn intermetallic compounds have been described in aerolite, granite, ophiolite, kimberlite, lamproite, gabbrodolerite, quartz diorite, volcanic tuff and ore deposits of diamonds, porphyry copper, Cu-Ni sulphides, REE, gold, the oxidized zone of sulphides and residual talus. As examples, large quantities of Cu-Zn intermetallics are hosted by ophiolite in the Far-east Koryak Plateau (Rudashevsky et al, 1987(Rudashevsky et al, , 1988, the quartz gold deposit of Sukhol Log in Russia (Distler et al, 2004), kimberlite, lamproite, compound (Cu 0.42 Ni 0.30 Zn 0.26 Fe 0.02 ) and Sn-Zn-Ni-Cu intermetallic compound (Cu 0.42 Ni 0.26 Zn 0.23 Sn 0.07 Fe 0.02 ) (Liu et al, 2008).…”

Catalytic Performance of Amorphous and Crystalline RuO2 Loading on TiO2 Nanosheets in Lithium–Oxygen Batteries

“…19,20 Liu et al showed that TiO 2 could increase the highest occupied molecular orbital space size of noble metals and decrease the adsorption of atomic oxygen on the catalyst compared with catalysts supported on carbon. 21 Zhao et al employed TiO 2 nanotubes as catalyst supporst for LOBs, and their huge specific surface area could provide abundant active sites for Li 2 O 2 precipitation. 22 In addition, the channels in the nanotubes were beneficial to oxygen transport, which improved the specific capacity, rate performance, and cyclability of LOBs.…”

“…Among the various catalysts, TiO 2 is an attractive catalyst support because it is stable, environmentally friendly, and biocompatible. , Liu et al showed that TiO 2 could increase the highest occupied molecular orbital space size of noble metals and decrease the adsorption of atomic oxygen on the catalyst compared with catalysts supported on carbon . Zhao et al employed TiO 2 nanotubes as catalyst supporst for LOBs, and their huge specific surface area could provide abundant active sites for Li 2 O 2 precipitation .…”