The solubility of gold and copper chloride in liquid-undersaturated, HCl-bearing water vapour was investigated experimentally at elevated temperatures and pressures. Experimental results show that the solubility of gold and copper is significant, increasing at higher fHCl and fH2O for gold, and at higher fH2O for copper. These increases are attributed to the formation of hydrated gas species, with a metal:chlorine ratio of 1. Hydration numbers vary from 5 at 300°C to 3 at 360°C for gold, and from 7.6 at 280°C, to 6.0 at 300°C, and 6.1 at 320°C for copper; the results reflect the presence of trimer [Cu3Cl3•(H2O)n] or tetramer [Cu4Cl4•(H2O)n] species. Results indicate that solubility for both vapour species is retrograde, i.e., it decreases with increasing temperature, and formed via the reactions: Ausolid+m·HClgas+n·H2 Ogas=AuClm·H2 Ogasn+m 2·Hgas2 3CuClsolid+n·H2Ogas= Cu3Cl3·H2O gasn / Calculations based on the solubility data indicate an economic high-sulphidation Au deposit (e.g., Nansatsu, Japan; 36 tonnes) could form in ~30,000 years, whereas a porphyry copper deposit (e.g., 50 million tonnes at 0.5% Cu) could form in as little as ~20,500 years, assuming transport only in the vapour phase. / Precious- and base-metal-rich composite scales, containing up to 111 ppm Au and 628 ppm Ag, occur in surface pipes at the Momotombo geothermal field, Nicaragua. Polysulphide scale fragments, comprising chalcopyrite, sphalerite, galena, electrum and hessite grains in a matrix of amorphous silica, formed as a result of cooling and ligand loss induced by boiling, during fluid ascent in well MT-36. Secondary bornite, stromeyerite and chalcocite/digenite replaced chalcopyrite through the addition of Cu and Ag and an increase in fO2 . A drop in pH due to well closure resulted in replacement of primary and secondary sulphides by tetrahedrite. / Reaction-path modelling using the program CHILLER simulates deposition of minerals from the reconstructed deep geothermal fluid, at temperature intervals (depths) along excess enthalpy and isoenthalpic boiling paths. These simulations accurately reproduce the paragenetic sequence of base- and precious-metal mineralization in the scales. The modelling indicates excess enthalpy boiling results in metal precipitation at greater depths than would be expected for isoenthalpic boiling, and that at Momotombo this occurs through the destabilisation of bisulphide complexes in response to loss of CO2 and H2 S during phase separation.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:QMM.82821 |
| Date | January 2002 |
| Creators | Archibald, Sandy M. |
| Contributors | Williams-Jones, A. E. (advisor) |
| Publisher | McGill University |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Coverage | Doctor of Philosophy (Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences.) |
| Rights | All items in eScholarship@McGill are protected by copyright with all rights reserved unless otherwise indicated. |
| Relation | alephsysno: 001984140, proquestno: AAINQ88414, Theses scanned by UMI/ProQuest. |
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