ELECTROGEOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF THE PROCESSES OF SOLUTION AND CHRYSTALLIZATION OF MINERALS

Abstract

The authors call the difference in potentials between a solid electrolyte and a solution the 'solution potential' (SP) in the case of solution and the 'crystallization potential' (CP) in the case of crystallization. The former is a new concept with regard to natural (geochemical) processes. The solution potential, the current density and the roles of these two factors in mineragenesis are the topics of the present article. The nature of the solution potential has been explained in terms of the sum of the phase discontinuity of the potential and the concentration potential. The crystallization potential is similar in magnitude to the solution potential, but is of the opposite sign. A laboratory study showed that the current intensity and density in the field produced by solution and crystallization, along with other factors, were maximum only in the period when these processes wee proceeding at a high rate. In the subsequent period, the field was either absent or weak. In the pre-ore stage, however, the field was sufficient to define the zones of electrochemical ore concentration. These and other aspects of the subject are discussed, along with the possible importance of the solution and crystallization potentials and the density of the associated current in ore generation.