The effect of bubble size on the rate of flotation of fine particles

Flotation experiments have been carried out in a cell in which bubbles of known size could be generated independently of the turbulence levels, which could be controlled by varying the impeller speed. The mean bubble size ranged from 75 μm to 655 μm.Results are reported for the flotation rates of fine particles, less than 50 μm diameter. The materials floated were polystyrene latex particles, quartz and zircon. These were chosen to give a wide range of specific gravity.It was found that the flotation rate was very strongly affected by the bubble size, there being an increase of up to one hundred-fold when the bubble size was reduced from 655 μm to 75 μm. Effects of particle density and impeller speed are also reported.     

Rare earth elements in seawater: particle association,shale-normalization,and Ce oxidation

Dissolved (<0.04 μm, not <0.4 μm) and total acid-soluble concentrations of rare earth elements (REEs) and yttrium were measured by using ICP mass spectrometry in the seawaters obtained from various depths in the western North Pacific near Japan. The difference, i.e., acid-soluble particulate fraction, was found to be small, 2–5% for all tri-valent light and middle REEs and less than 1% for heavy REEs and yttrium. The high particulate fraction of 31% for Ce is consistent with its predicted oxidation state of tetra-valence. Elevated particulate fraction of all REEs was found within ∼80 m above the bottom due to contribution of flocculated resuspended particles. The vertical profiles of REE(III)s show smoothly increasing convex curves with depth similar to those reported previously. Dissolved Ce concentration decreases from ∼6 pmol/kg near the surface to a minimum at 2.5 pmol/kg around 400 m where the North Pacific Intermediate Water penetrates, and then approaches to nearly constant value of ∼4 pmol/kg below 800 m. Particulate Ce concentration significantly increases from the surface to 200 m depth suggesting oxidation of Ce(III) to Ce(IV) and subsequent scavenging in the upper water column. However, there is no evidence in our data showing that Ce oxidation is continuously taking place even in the deep sea.Shale-normalized patterns of dissolved REEs were examined in detail, based on three datasets of composite shales available in the literature. Distinctively positive La and only slightly positive Gd anomalies were identified together with well-documented negative Ce-anomaly as common features of seawater. These anomalies systematically change with depth. Rapid changes occur in the upper several hundred meters suggesting that their distributions are largely governed by ocean circulation and biogeochemical cycling.     

奥运会及残奥会期间北京市区大气颗粒物污染特征及微观形貌类型

2008年8月和9月,北京市成功举办了第29届奥运会和第13届残奥会,对这段时间在北京市区(中国矿业大学校园综合楼五层,距奥运村3 km)采集的大气颗粒物的质量浓度和微观形貌类型进行了研究。结果表明:奥运会期间,北京市区大气PM10和PM2.5的日均质量浓度分别小于国家PM10二级标准(150μg/m3)和美国EPA的PM2.5二级标准(65μg/m3),12 h的质量浓度范围分别为7.64~81.63μg/m3和1.91~54.59μg/m3;残奥会期间,12 h的PM10质量浓度范围为33.83~106.36μg/m3,没有超标,PM2.5质量浓度变化范围为15.29~88.30μg/m3,其中出现了3 d超标天,分别为9月6日、7日和14日;从奥运期间PM2.5/PM10的比值(0.26~0.86,大部分值大于0.5)可以看出,奥运期间北京大气颗粒物以细粒子为主。与往年相比,颗粒物质量浓度出现大幅下降趋势。场发射扫描电镜观察显示,奥运会和残奥会期间样品的微观形貌类型主要有球形颗粒、烟尘集合体、不规则矿物和未知颗粒,其数量-粒径分布主要呈单峰分布,峰值均在0.1~0.2μm范围,其中球形颗粒明显占多数。各种分析数据均显示,残奥会期间样品比奥运会期间样品污染要严重。     

盐分对黏性土的沉积特性与表面电位影响研究

为了明晰黏土矿物和盐分浓度在沉积过程中所起的作用及物理机制,选取高岭土、膨润土及两者组成的混合土进行粒径分析试验、沉积试验和Zeta电位测试。结果显示,盐分环境下高岭土和膨润土的平均粒径增大,部分黏粒组向粉粒组转化。高岭土在蒸馏水环境下和盐水环境下,最终都形成土-水的稳定分界面,但是絮凝稳定时间在盐分环境下更短。膨润土在蒸馏水环境下处于稳定的分散体系中,在盐水环境下迅速絮凝沉积。混合土在蒸馏水环境下,上部澄清层和下部沉淀层之间存在土颗粒的悬浮层,且该层的高度最终稳定;盐水环境下,混合土则迅速的发生土水分离。随着NaCl浓度增加,膨润土和高岭土的Zeta电位绝对值降低,因此胶粒组的絮凝行为对平均粒径产生影响,进而影响其沉积特性。     

基于IPP图像处理的膨胀土微观结构定量研究

利用环境扫描电镜（ESEM）获取不同浸水时间下合肥膨胀土的微观结构扫描图像,基于专业图像处理软件Image-Pro Plus（IPP）对膨胀土的ESEM图像进行处理和分析,研究了不同浸水时间下合肥膨胀土的表观孔隙比、分形维数和大小组成情况。研究表明,膨胀土的表观孔隙比随着浸水时间的增大逐渐增大,其增长速率逐渐减小。运用小岛法对土样的颗粒和孔隙的分形维数进行研究,结果表明,膨胀土的颗粒和孔隙均具有明显的分形特征,分形维数在1.1～1.3之间。随着浸水时间的逐渐增大,颗粒的分形维数在减小,孔隙的分形维数在增大,二者呈现相反的变化趋势。对土样的颗粒和孔隙按照大（>5 μm）、中（2～5 μm）、小（1～2 μm）、微（<1 μm）4组进行分类,分析了不同浸水时间下各类颗粒和孔隙占比的演变趋势。     

Comparison of laser grain size analysis with pipette and sieve analysis: a solution for the underestimation of the clay fraction

Classically, the grain size of soil and sediment samples is determined by the sieve method for the coarse fractions and by the pipette method, based on the ‘Stokes’ sedimentation rates, for the fine fractions. Results from the two methods are compared with results from laser diffraction size analysis, which is based on the forward scattering of monochromatic coherent light. From a point of view of laboratory efficiency, the laser sizing technique is far superior. Accuracy and reproducibility are shown by measurements on certified materials. It appears that laser grain size measurements of certified materials correspond very well with the certificated measurements. Tests were also done on a set of randomly selected sediments of fluvial, aeolian and lacustrine origin. Except for the (<2 μm) clay fraction, there is a coarsening of the mean diameter of one to two size classes (0.25 ?), caused by the non-sphericity of the particles. The platy form of the clay particles induces considerable differences (eight size classes) between pipette and laser measurements: the <2 μm grain size, defined by the pipette method corresponds with a grain size of 8 μm defined by the Laser Particle Sizer for the studied sediments. Using a higher grain size level for the clay fraction, when laser analysis is applied, enables workers in the geological and environmental field to compare classical pipette analysis with a laser sizing technique.     

Thorium adsorption in the ocean: reversibility and distribution amongst particle sizes

Experiments have been carried out to determine whether the adsorption of Th by marine suspended particles is a reversible process. The results indicate reversibility on a time scale of hours. The distribution of Th between the ‘dissolved’ state (<0.22 μm particle size) and various particle size fractions has been compared with predictions based on a hyperbolic size distribution of marine particles assuming spherical geometry and surface adsorption. Thorium is present in small particles to a much smaller degree than such a model would predict, so that the use of 1 μm pore size filters to separate ‘dissolved’ and ‘particulate’ Th does not introduce serious errors. The implications of these results on the reversible exchange model of Bacon and Anderson (1982) and on the settling model of Tsunogai and Minagawa (1978) are discussed.     

Coagulation and transport of sediments in the Gironde Estuary

The distribution of suspended particle size and concentration were measured along the Gironde Estuary, France, from the river seaward to the ocean. The suspended particle size and volume concentration were measured using in situ holography and onboard optical techniques utilizing special procedures in order to avoid floc breakage. Sediments discharged by the rivers coagulate upon encountering the very low salinities (0.2‰ of the upper estuary (confirmed with laboratory experiments), and are then transported and deposited by currents in the remainder of the estuary. This coagulation, coupled with estuarine circulation, produces a turbidity maximum which is offset between the surface and bottom waters. The floc size maximum is oceanward of the turbidity maximum and is, likewise, offset along the estuary by about 30 km. The estuary can be subdivided into the following zones: (1) coagulation; (2) hydrodynamic, landward of the null point; and (3) hydrodynamic, seaward of the null point. Initial coagulation appears to be completed in coagulation zone (1), and particles are transported and settled (with very little floc breakage and recoagulation) in zones (2) and (3) only. The floc settling velocities, coupled with estuarine circulation, control the concentration and size distributions of flocs in the water column, and eventually control the deposition of sediments.     

Deep-sea spherules from Pacific clay: mass distribution and influx rate

From 411 kg of Pacific clay, 22 mg of stony spherules and 50 mg of iron spherules larger than 150 μm were concentrated. The extraterrestrial origin of these particles was evaluated with the aid of both optical and electron microscopy as well as atomic absorption elemental analysis. The integral number (N) of stony particles from this sediment in the mass (M) range 20–300 μg is given by N( >M(g)) = 5.13 × 10^?6 × M^?1.65. The world-wide influx rate of stony particles in the mass range which survive atmospheric heating and ocean sediment storage is calculated to be 90 tons/yr. The relative contributions of ablation debris vs fused interplanetary dust to the influx of stony spherules is discussed, but as yet the question remains unanswered.     

松嫩沙地Sr?Nd同位素组成特征

作为亚洲风尘源区的中国北方干旱—半干旱地区的Sr?Nd同位素组成已得到很好的研究,但位于欧亚黄土带最东端的松嫩沙地尚是空白,这影响了对该地区风尘系统的深入理解。为此,系统采集了松嫩沙地19个区域90个河流沙和风成沙样品,并对这些样品进行了分粒级处理（<63 μm、63~30 μm、30~10 μm、<10 μm和<30 μm）。对116个分粒级子样的酸不溶物（硅酸盐组分）进行了Sr?Nd同位素组成的测定。研究结果表明,松嫩沙地可划分出两个大区（嫩江水系和松花江水系）和七个小区,嫩江水系沉积物的Nd同位素组成显著高于松花江水系,而Sr同位素组成明显偏低。松嫩沙地8个剖面纵向上的同位素特征显示,Sr?Nd同位素组成存在“时间效应”,即随时间发生了明显变化,表明了源区地球化学组成的不稳定性。分粒级组成表明,粒度对87Sr/86Sr比值的影响很小,但对Nd同位素组成有明显影响,且存在Nd同位素比值富集在粗颗粒组分中的趋势,这与以往的研究结果不同。无论是地质历史时期还是现在,嫩江水系沉积物（大庆、杜蒙、齐齐哈尔、泰来、白城）对哈尔滨粉尘的贡献都很小。哈尔滨黄土与现代尘暴粉尘有不同的物源,哈尔滨黄土是春季尘暴天气作用的产物,有一个混合源,松花江水系沉积物（扶余、德惠、榆树等地）是哈尔滨黄土的主要粉尘源区,内蒙古中东部的沙地也为哈尔滨黄土贡献了部分的细颗粒粉尘。     

Changes in concentration and size distribution of aerosols during fog over the south Indian Ocean

Measurements of the concentration and size distribution of aerosol particles in the size-ranges of 0.5–20 μm and 16–700 nm diameters were made during six fog episodes over the south Indian Ocean. Observations show that concentrations of particles of all sizes start decreasing 1–2 hours before the occurrence of fog. This decrease is more prominent for coarse particles of >1 μm diameter and continues until 10–20 minutes before the onset of fog when particle concentrations in all size ranges rapidly increase by one/two orders of magnitude in ∼20 minutes. Thereafter, concentrations of particles of all sizes gradually decrease until the dissipation of fog. After the fog dissipation, concentrations of coarse mode particles rapidly increase and restore to their pre-fog levels but concentrations of the Aitken mode particles decrease slowly and reach their pre-fog levels only after 1–2 hours. The net effect of fog is to change the bimodal size distributions of aerosols with a coarse mode at 1.0 μm and an accumulation mode at 40–60 nm to a power law size distribution. It is proposed that the preferential growth and sedimentation of the coarse mode hygroscopic particles in the initial phase cause a large decrease in the aerosol surface area. As a result, the low vapour pressure gases which were initially being used for the growth of coarse mode particles, now accelerate the growth rates of the accumulation and Aitken mode particles.     

黄河源区阿尼玛卿山耶和龙冰川积雪中不溶微粒组成特征及环境意义

2005年9月下旬,在黄河源区阿尼玛卿山耶和龙冰川平衡线附近挖取了6个雪坑,固定层厚采集了89个雪冰样品,分析了样品的δ¹⁸O值及不溶微粒的浓度、粒径,研究了耶和龙冰川中不溶微粒的时空分布特征及环境意义。结果表明：雪冰样品中不溶微粒浓度平均值为1.1×10⁵个·mL^-1,PM₁₀占到总粒子的99%;以微粒数浓度为权重计算的平均粒径分布在1.1~1.8 μm之间,说明耶和龙冰川积雪中不溶微粒以细粒子为主;不溶微粒的粒度谱分布不符合正态分布规律,粒子浓度的众数出现在小粒径;微粒源区输入和大气环流强度是控制积雪中不溶微粒特征的主要因素。源区输入和风场强度均较大时,积雪中不溶微粒浓度及粒径均较大;源区输入较弱而风场强度较大时,积雪中微粒浓度有所增加,粒径增加更加显著。结合HYSPLIT-4模式研究发现,在耶和龙冰川积雪中不溶微粒的浓度及粒径随雪坑深度的变化可以反映气团强度的季节变化,夏季降水增加使微粒的季节变化更加显著。西风携带的塔克拉玛干沙漠和中亚干旱区尘埃是耶和龙冰川春、秋季节积雪中不溶微粒的重要来源。     

青海软玉“水线”的特征分析

＂水线＂是青海软玉的重要特征,分析青海软玉＂水线＂的结构特征,为进一步研究＂水线＂的地质成因及鉴别软玉的产地具有十分重要的意义。通过显微薄片,扫描电子显微镜观察及电子探针测试等方法对青海软玉＂水线＂的结构特征及矿物组成进行系统分析。结果显示,＂水线＂处的矿物组成均为透闪石。在偏光显微镜下,根据＂水线＂处的颗粒与主体矿物颗粒的相对大小和排列有序度,将青海软玉＂水线＂分为三种类型：＂水线＂处的颗粒较主体矿物颗粒的粗大,长约25μm,宽约4μm,排列杂乱;＂水线＂处的颗粒近平行排列,长为10～20μm,宽约2μm,与边界呈近90°夹角;＂水线＂处的颗粒细小,长约10μm,宽在0.5～1.0μm之间,边界清晰。扫描电子显微镜的测试结果显示,＂水线＂处的透闪石呈长纤维状平行排列,并有针状、粒状透闪石颗粒穿插其间,总体定向性优于主体矿物的。     

"巫山黄土"粒度特征及其对成因的指示

为了探讨"巫山黄土"的成因, 对剖面样品进行了粒度分析.结果表明: "巫山黄土"主要由 < 50 μm的颗粒组成, ＞50 μm的砂级以上颗粒平均含量为16.9%;作为风尘"基本粒组"的10~50 μm的粗粉砂平均含量达43.1%, 为众数粒组; 5~10 μm的细粉砂颗粒含量平均为14.5%;＜5 μm的粘土颗粒含量平均为25.5%, 为次众数粒组.粒度参数、频率曲线与典型风尘沉积物相似, 显示为典型的风积成因; 粒度参数的C-M、L-M、A-M图等粒度象分析及结构参数散点图与现代河流沉积物差别明显, 而与长江中下游分布的下蜀土却基本一致.判别分析结果绝大部分为负值, 显示了风积成因为主、个别层位受到水流作用改造的成因特征.      

九龙江河口枯季沉降颗粒物及其地球化学组成研究

2009年3月28—29日在九龙江河口区采用自制沉积物捕获器分层收集沉降颗粒物,分别进行了扫描电镜、激光粒度和ICP—MS分析,并研究了沉降颗粒物的垂直通量。结果表明：各站各层沉降颗粒物类型以生物和矿物颗粒为主,絮凝体类型各站各层有所不同。各站各层之间粒度参数的变化主要是受絮凝作用的影响所致,沉降颗粒物垂直通量在各海域...     

Particulate calcium carbonate in New England shelf waters: result of shell degradation and resuspension*

Aragonite and calcite needles, 30–500 μm long, were found to be prominent visual components throughout the water column in some areas of the New England (northeastern U.S.A.) continental shelf during winter months. Further investigation showed these‘needles’to be laths derived from the degradation of mollusc shells which were resuspended from bottom sediments during winter storms. Such degradation and subsequent transport/dissolution of carbonate particles may help explain why the terrigenous 'starved’shelf sediments off New England contain such small amounts of calcium carbonate.     

Grain size characteristics and genesis of the Muxing loess in the Muling-Xingkai Plain,Northeast China

Thick loess is deposited on the platform in the piedmont zone of Muling-Xingkai Plain(Muxing Plain), but the genesis of the Muxing loess is still unclear. The aims of this study are to analyze the grain size characteristics of Muxing loess collected from the cores of a typical borehole(ZK1) in the piedmont zone of Muxing Plain, and to verify its genesis. The Muxing loess is mainly composed of the particles with diameter less than 50 μm, with an average content of 92.48%. The coarse silt particles with diameter of 10-50 μm are the basic composition of aeolian sediments, and their average content is 44.34% for the Muxing loess, which is the mode class among the particles with different diameters. The grain size parameters and frequency curves are similar to those of the typical aeolian sediments. The distribution characteristic of the Muxing loess in the C-M scatter diagram is consistent with that of the Xi Feng loess. In addition, the discriminant analysis shows the Muxing loess mostly consists of aeolian sediments. Therefore, it can be concluded that the Muxing loess mainly resulted from aeolian deposition based on the grain size characteristics. Muxing Plain is dominated by the monsoon climate, and the wind-blown dusts are gradually deposited after being transported over long distances.     

长江口及邻近海域悬浮颗粒重晶石特征与成因探讨

海洋环境中重晶石的形成和保存是元素Ba生物地球化学过程的重要环节,在反演海洋古生产力领域具有重要价值。但是多年来该方面的研究主要集中在深海海域,而对河口及近海海域很少涉及。本研究使用SEM和EDX等方法对长江口及邻近海域5个断面36个站位的悬浮体中的重晶石矿物进行了系统的观察,对重晶石颗粒类型、空间分布和影响因素进行了研究。结果表明:该区重晶石颗粒包含自形晶体、长条状晶体、不规则形态晶体和集合体等4种类型,含少量Sr元素,大部分重晶石颗粒表面出现溶蚀现象;重晶石颗粒粒径主要分布在0.5~3 μm。通过研究发现,长江口及邻近海域悬浮体中重晶石的形成主要受到微环境中生物作用的控制,该区初级生产力的发育状态和重晶石颗粒的沉降差异造成重晶石空间分布具有表层含量较多、由岸向外增加的现象。     

临汾区块煤层气井排采中产出煤粉特征

基于煤层气井产出煤粉浓度的现场连续监测,采用煤粉浓度监测仪、激光粒度测试仪、反射偏光显微镜、X射线衍射、电子扫描电镜带X射线能谱仪,研究了临汾区块煤层气井排采过程中产出煤粉的浓度、粒度、成分和表面特征,分析了煤粉特征的影响因素,探讨了煤粉产出机理。结果表明,临汾区块平均煤粉浓度随排采阶段的变化趋势是排水降压阶段<憋压排采阶段<气水合采阶段;不同开发层段产出的煤粉浓度变化趋势是单采5号煤<合采5号和8号煤<合采（4+5）号、（8+9）号煤。煤粉颗粒粒径分布范围广,为0.5~1 000 μm,多集中在100 μm以下。煤粉成分以无机矿物和镜质组为主,无机矿物以硬石膏、黄铁矿和伊利石为主。将煤粉颗粒分为光滑表面和粗糙表面两种,光滑表面的煤粉颗粒以C元素为主,粗糙表面的煤粉颗粒以Fe、S、O元素为主。煤粉产出与煤中矿物含量、镜质组含量以及构造煤发育程度和排采阶段有关。