Greg Preston’s Post

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝘀𝗼 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗧𝗲𝗹𝗹𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘂𝗺? Tellurium is a rare, brittle, silvery metalloid of the chalcogen group.  It forms several telluride and oxide ores, in fact gold tellurides are the most common gold minerals. In very rare occasions Te occurs also in native form, mainly accompanying gold and silver. The element was discovered in 1782 by Austrian mineralogist Müller von Reichenstein, when evaluating gold ores for their unexpected low gold level. The element is produced mainly as  byproduct in copper refining, where it can be recovered from the anode sludge. The industrial relevance of tellurium and its compounds is rather minor, since the isolation is toilsome and expensive. Furthermore,  the properties are similar to easier accessible elements. Nevertheless, elemental Te is sometimes added to copper or lead alloys and stainless steel to improve the machinability. Since tellurium is a toxic element,  monitoring soil, water, and industrial waste for Te levels it is important.  In our portfolio  you will find various configurations for successful microwave digestion of your individual samples!  https://loom.ly/WKOR9wE #analyticalchemistry #samplepreparation #aciddigestion #elementanalysis #multiwave #antonpaar

Stamper taps into significant copper, molybdenum and rhenium mineralization at Redonda - https://lnkd.in/d_DSdCMg

Charger Metals sampling on a newly discovered pegmatite outcrop has yielded multiple high-grade results up to 4.2 per cent lithium oxide. Three samples all yielded high grades of 4.2, 3.7, and 3.5 per cent with visible spodumene crystals estimated to be up to half of the total volume along a 1.2-kilometre trend offering large-scale potential. “The discovery of this high-grade spodumene-bearing pegmatite outcrop is exciting and highlights the prospectivity of our Lake Johnston Lithium Project. The fact we have three pegmatite outcrops with visual spodumene and confirmed high grade lithium assays along a 1.2km trend suggests the potential for large-scale lithium mineralisation.” – Charger Managing Director Aidan Platel Bryan Dixon Terry Gardiner Jonathan Whyte #Lithium #Exploration #LakeJohnston 📰 Subscribe to MarketOpen insights! 🗞 https://lnkd.in/g7qSSk8m

American Mineralogist: Characteristics of congruent dissolution of silicate minerals enhanced by chelating ligand under ambient conditions https://lnkd.in/g5J_-tSq Wang et al. investigated the characteristics and mechanisms of silicate mineral dissolution in the presence of a chelating ligand, i.e., N,N-12 bis(carboxymethyl)-L-glutamic acid (GLDA), through batch dissolution experiments. The results showed that the dissolution of silicate minerals can be enhanced by up to two orders of magnitude at both pH 4 and 8. The chelating ligand particularly facilitated the dissolution of minerals with a higher Al content, such as tourmaline and anorthite. Furthermore, the presence of chelating ligands enhanced the leaching of not only metals but also Si from minerals. A possible mechanism is chelating ligand adsorbs and negatively charge the mineral surface, which attracts more H+ and polarizes Si-O and Mg-O bonds, thereby dissolving the minerals at a faster rate. These results have significant implications for understanding the dissolution of minerals in nature and for the application of chelating agents in geological developments.

(Fig. 1. Boojumite crystals) • The new minerals boojumite and kennygayite were found in the Redmond mine, Haywood County, North Carolina, USA, where they occur in a highly unusual secondary assemblage that comprises a variety of rare Pb-Zn-Cu sulfates, thiosulfates, and carbonates. • The structures of boojumite and kennygayite are both based on chains of edge-sharing oxocentered OPb4 tetrahedra. The chain in boojumite is sinuous, whereas that in kennygayite is zig-zag. • The ideal formula of boojumite is Pb8O4(OH)2(S2O3)3. • The ideal formula of kennygayite is [Pb4O2(OH)2](SO4). New Minerals from the Redmond Mine, North Carolina, USA: VI. Boojumite and Kennygayite, Two New Minerals with Structures Based on Chains of Oxocentered OPb4 Tetrahedra A.R. Kampf, J.B. Smith, J.M. Hughes, C. Ma, & C. Emproto https://lnkd.in/dug9xCG4

Illustrated deposit model of a porphyry copper deposit (modified from Lowell and Guilbert, 1970). (A) Schematic cross section of hydrothermal alteration minerals and types, which include propylitic, sericitic, advanced argillic, and potassic alteration. (B) Schematic cross section of ores associated with each alteration type. (C) Scale showing level of interpreted exposure for Iranian alteration sites based on ASTER mapped alteration units.

American Mineralogist: Single-crystal elasticity of humite-group minerals by Brillouin scattering https://lnkd.in/gapksQSv Humite-group minerals have long been recognized as important carriers of water and fluorine in subduction slabs. Zhang et al. determined the elasticity of four (F, OH)-humite group minerals (one chondrodite, one humite, and two clinohumite) using Brillouin scattering. The results show that adding fluorine increases the elasticity of clinohumite and chondrodite, which is in contrast to the effect of H2O. Meanwhile, iron has a negligible impact on the bulk modulus of humite-group minerals but significantly decreases the shear modulus of clinohumite. Together with previous experimental results, the authors also analyzed the influence of F, H2O, and Fe content on the density, elasticity, and sound velocities of minerals along the forsterite-brucite join in the MgO-SiO2-H2O system.

Recent test work conducted at Extrax Services research center has shown the potential of gravity concentration technology in mineral processing operations. The observed shaking table product band profile highlights the viability of this technology for bornite recovery from bornite-bearing ore. What's more, the simplicity and cost-effectiveness of gravity concentration systems make them an attractive alternative to conventional flotation circuits, especially for ores with complex mineralogy like bornite. #mineralprocessing #gravityconcentration #borniterecovery

GSNSW has reanalysed 798 existing whole-rock igneous and 442 mine dump pulps, and 601 rock and ore samples from our Economic Rock and Mineral Collection. Most of the whole-rock samples are from the collections of B. W. Chappell and co-workers. Most were milled in tool steel, allowing for the meaningful analysis of tungsten. The original major element oxide values of Bruce Chappell have been retained as they will never be bettered by reanalysis. Some samples extend south into Victoria to capture the extent of the Wagga Batholith and Koetong Supersuite Sn-W-(Li) bearing S-types. We have used both lithium borate fusion and four acid digest techniques (both with ICP-MS finish) to ensure complete sample digestion by the former (Zr, Nb, Ta, Hf REE), and the latter as: 1) four acid digest has become the industry standard which will allow direct incorporation into industry databases, and 2) the amazing geochemical work of Scott Halley has convinced me to stop being a snob and embrace this economical, efficient analytical method and its impressive detection limits. Pt, Pd and Au by fire assay were also undertaken for Macquarie Arc samples. Over limit techniques were applied where practicable for mine dump and ore samples. The results, including standards, are presented in a series of Excel spreadsheets, including certificates of analysis. https://lnkd.in/gNWUsmCm

Electrum Discovery's new European significant copper-gold anomaly only five kilometres east of a world class copper-gold porphyry mine on the Western Tethyan Belt. The anomaly, named ‘Bambino’, measures up to 550 meters in length and over 100 meters in width and remains open in all directions, with copper in soils ranging from 500 – 8238 ppm copper and rock chip samples returning grades of 2.85% and 0.32% copper. Electrum Discovery is also expanding its precious metal resources. So far the inferred resources are 670,000oz gold equivalent.