Raman Spectroscopy of Garnet—group Minerals

The Raman spectra of the natural end members of the garnet-group minerals,which include pyrope, almandine and spessarite of Fe-Al garnet series and grossularite ,andradite and uvarovite of Ca-Fe garnet series, have been strdied.Measured Raman spectra of these minerals are reasonably and qualitatively assigned to the internal modes, translational and rotatory modes of SiO4 tetrahedra, as well as the translational motion of bivalent cations in the X site.The stretch and rotatory A1g modes for the Fe-Al garnet series show obvious Raman shifts as compared with those for the Ca-Fe garnet series ,owing to the cations residing in the Xsite connected with SiO4 tetrahedra by sharing the two edges.The Raman shifts of all members within either of the series are attributed mainly to the properties of cations in the X site for the Fe-Al garnet series andin the Y site for the Ca-Fe garnet series.     

Mössbauer spectroscopy of minerals

We compare two different approaches to fitting the Fe-57 Mössbauer spectra of paramagnetic state minerals: the widespread practice of using Lorentzian line doublets with adjustable Γ widths and a new method (Rancourt and Ping, 1991) based on quadrupole splitting distributions (QSDs). We argue that there is no physical justification for the former and that the latter is a theoretically correct approach. With the same number of free parameters, the QSD method performs better. The Lorentzian doublet method 1) significantly overestimates the background, 2) puts overly large wings or tails on the main absorption peaks, and 3) gives unphysically large values of Γ. Whereas Lorentzian doublets are often arbitrarily (and incorrectly) assigned to model sites in the average unit cell, QSDs represent the most information that can be distilled from the spectra and are caused by the various local and long-range structural and chemical environments acting concomitantly.     

Polarized X-ray absorption spectroscopy of metal ions in minerals

We have made use of the nearly complete linear polarization of synchrotron radiation to study the polarization dependence of X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) and extended fine structure (EXAFS) in oriented single crystals of gillespite (BaFe²⁺ Si₄O₁₀; Fe^{2 +} in square-planar coordination, point symmetry C ₄), anatase (TiO₂; Ti⁴⁺ in octahedral coordination, point symmetry D _2d), and epidote (Ca₂(Al, Fe³⁺)₃SiO₄)₃(OH); Fe³⁺ in distorted octahedral coordination, point symmetry (C _s). For gillespite, the Fe K-XANES spectrum varies strongly with E-vector orientation of the incident X-ray beam. When the E-vector lies in the plane of the FeO₄ group (i.e., perpendicular to the c-axis), multiple-scattering features at 7127 and 7131 eV intensify, whereas when the E-vector is perpendicular to the plane of the FeO₄ group (i.e., parallel to the c-axis), a strongly-polarized 1s to 4p bound state transition occurs at 7116 eV and a localized continuum resonance occurs at 7122 eV. The Fe-K-EXAFS spectrum of gillespite is also highly polarization dependent. When the E-vector is perpendicular to c, all four nearest-neighbor oxygens around Fe²⁺ contribute to the EXAFS signal; when E is parallel to c, the EXAFS signal from nearest-neighbors is reduced by at least 86%. The unpolarized Ti K-XANES spectrum of anatase has three relatively strong pre-edge features at 4967.1, 4969.9, and 4972.7 eV which have resisted definitive interpretation in past studies. The lowest energy feature has a strong xy polarization dependence, suggesting a large amount of 4p _x,y character, and it is also very sharp, indicating a well-defined transition energy. Both of these observations are consistent with an excitonic state with a binding energy of 2.8 eV. The two higher energy features, which are characteristic of octahedrally-coordinated Ti⁴⁺, show little polarization dependence and are probably due to 1s to 3d bound-state transitions, with a small degree of np character in the final state wavefunction. Interpretation of the polarization dependence of Fe K-XANES spectra for epidote is not as straightforward due to the lower space group symmetry (P2₁/m) relative to gillespite (P4/ncc) and anatase (I4₁/amd) and the lower point group symmetry (C _s) of the M(3) site which contains most of the Fe³⁺ in the epidote structure. However, the presence of a shoulder at 7121 eV in the E parallel to b spectrum and its absence in the E normal to bc spectrum are consistent with it being a 1s to 4p _z bound-state transition. Strong, weakly x, y polarized features near 7126 eV in both spectra are most likely due to localized continuum transitions. Also, the 1s to 3d pre-edge intensity varies in intensity with E-vector orientation which is consistent with displacement of Fe³⁺ from the center of the M(3) octahedral site. Analysis of EXAFS spectra of epidote in these two polarizations yields bond distances which are within 0.04 Å of previous single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. This study demonstrates the utility of polarized X-ray absorption spectroscopy in quantifying the energies and orbital compositions of final state wavefunctions associated with various X-ray induced transitions in transition-metal containing minerals. It also shows that reasonably accurate M-O distances can be obtained for individual bonds oriented in crystallographically non-equivalent directions.     

Water in minerals detectable by electron energy-loss spectroscopy EELS

Electron energy-loss spectroscopy EELS of the oxygen K edge of OH^– containing minerals and minerals with molecular water reveals a peak at about 528 eV prior to the onset of the O-K edge at 532 eV. This peak is never observed in minerals without water or OH^– groups. The intensity of the signal at 528 eV increases with increasing water content of the minerals. The peak at 528 eV is attributed to OH groups or water molecules. From the observations it is concluded that EELS provides a new method to determine the OH^– or water content of minerals with a spatial resolution far beyond that of optical spectroscopy. Received: 28 April 1997 / Revised, accepted: 25 July 1997     

31P solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy of aluminum phosphate minerals

This study examines the links between ³¹P solidstate NMR studies of aluminum phosphate minerals and their crystallographic structures. We found that ³¹P isotropic chemical shift values, _iso, carry little information about mineral structures. There seems to be no relation between the chemical shift anisotropy, =₃₃–₁₁ (₃₃>₂₂> ₁₁), and indicies of phosphate-tetrahedra distortion. ³¹P¹H heteronuclear magnetic dipole interactions, on the other hand, carry important information about hydrous phosphate mineral structures, information that should prove to be quite valuable in studies of phosphate adsorbed on mineral surfaces. This interaction can be measured through a variety of qualitative and quantitative experiments. It appears that spin diffusion is so rapid that subtle differences in hydrogen-bonding environments cannot be resolved.     

End members,dominant valency,and identifying minerals of mixed composition

Two rules for identifying and naming minerals of mixed composition are compared. Olivine, monoclinic pyroxene, tourmaline, and mica are given as examples.     

Discrete and functional-geometric methods of infrared spectroscopy of minerals using reference samples

Different methods of infrared spectroscopy applied to the analysis of mineral phases using spectra of reference samples are compared. Traditionally (discretely), the IR spectrum is processed as pairs of numbers characterizing frequencies and intensities of separate bands. The major advantage of such an approach is the opportunity to visualize fine crystallochemical features within groups of related minerals. An alternative technique is based on functional-geometric analysis, dealing with the spectral curve as a whole. This approach is based on the minimization of root-mean square deviations and opens up wide possibilities for the identification of minerals by their IR spectra. The crux of the functional-geometric method is the determination of a linear combination of standard spectra with nonnegative coefficients that ensures the best (in terms of integral functional comparison) approximation of the analyzed spectral curve. As a rule, the spectra of minerals with the closest crystallochemical relationships with the examined sample make the greatest contribution to this resolution. Numerous examples of application of the discrete and functional-geometric methods are described.     

Local coordination of Zn in hydroxy-interlayered minerals and implications for Zn retention in soils

The objective of this study was to determine the local coordination of Zn in hydroxy-interlayered smectite (HIS) as a function of Zn loading and synthesis conditions and to assess the importance of hydroxy-interlayered minerals (HIM) for Zn retention in contaminated soils. Published and newly collected extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectra of HIS reacted with Zn at molar Zn/hydroxy-Al ratios from 0.013 to 0.087 (corresponding to final Zn contents of 1615-8600 mg/kg Zn) were evaluated by shell fitting. In Zn-HIS, Zn was octahedrally coordinated to oxygen at 2.06-2.08 Å and surrounded by Al atoms at 3.03-3.06 Å in the second-shell. With increasing molar Zn/hydroxy-Al ratio, the coordination number of second-shell Al decreased from 6.6 to 2.1. These results were interpreted as a progressive shift from Zn incorporation in the vacancies of gibbsitic Al-polymers to Zn adsorption to incomplete Al-polymers and finally uptake by cation exchange in the polymer-free interlayer space of HIS with increasing Zn loadings. In a second part, we determined the speciation of Zn in eight contaminated soils (251-1039 mg/kg Zn) with acidic to neutral pH (pH 4.1-6.9) using EXAFS spectroscopy. All soils contained hydroxy-Al interlayered vermiculite (HIV). The analysis of EXAFS spectra by linear combination fitting (LCF) showed that a substantial fraction of total Zn (29-84%) was contained in HIM with high Zn loading. The remaining Zn was adsorbed to organic and inorganic soil components and incorporated into phyllosilicates. In sequential extractions of Zn-HIS spiked into quartz powder and the Zn contaminated soils, Zn was mainly released in the two most resistant fractions, in qualitative agreement with the findings from LCF. Our results suggest that formation of Zn-HIM may strongly retain Zn in pristine and moderately contaminated acidic to neutral soils. Due to their limited sorption capacity, however, HIM do not allow for the accumulation of high levels of Zn in response to continued Zn input into soils.     

Quantitative cathodoluminescence (CL) spectroscopy of minerals: possibilities and limitations

Summary ?The luminescence spectrum of a mineral contains complex information related to the intrinsic crystal and the defect structure. For quantitative analysis of cathodoluminescence (CL) the spectra have to be deconvoluted by fitting and filtering procedures to identify and measure individual peaks. Peak-width, peak-position and transition probability of the luminescence centres are influenced by effects such as interactions within the defects themselves, and interaction between defects and the surrounding crystal lattice. For calcite and feldspar a linear correlation between the defect concentration of manganese and the Mn²⁺-activated CL-intensity is documented. Combined Micro-Particle Induced X-ray Emission (μ-PIXE) and CL-spectroscopy analyses of REE-doped synthetic calcite suggest a linear correlation between REE-activated CL intensity and REE-concentration at REE-concentration levels below approximately 500 ppm. Sensitising and quenching by other REE are dominant effects yielding strong variations in the correlation between the REE-activated CL-intensity and the REE-content. Received December 6, 2001; revised version accepted May 10, 2002     

大洋多金属结核中铁锰质矿物拉曼光谱特征初探

拉曼光谱是一种快速无损的分析手段,它既可观察样品的显微结构构造,也可分析样品的成分和结构。为了丰富多金属结核的岩石矿物学特征,文章对西太平洋某海山区的多金属结核样品进行了X射线粉末衍射分析和拉曼光谱分析。X射线分析结果显示该区域样品主要含有水羟锰矿、钡镁锰矿、斜长石、钙十字沸石和石英,显微构造主要有纹层状构造、柱状构造、树枝状构造、充填构造等。通过分析对比潮湿样品和烘干样品铁锰质矿物的拉曼特征谱峰,得出结核中水羟锰矿的特征谱峰位于490 cm~(-1)、570 cm~(-1)和626 cm~(-1)附近,钡镁锰矿的特征谱峰则位于640 cm~(-1)附近,与陆地上对应矿物的特征拉曼谱峰不同。结核中的钡镁锰矿结构不稳定,经过风干或者抛磨后部分产生相变,不同显微结构中,相变情况不同。经与RRUFF数据库比对,识别出钙十字沸石、斜长石等自形晶,多分布于结核最内层,往结核外层总体减少。矿物微晶多见铁锰质矿物微晶和钙十字沸石微晶,铁锰质矿物绕其向外生长。     

Potassium coordination in trioctahedral micas investigated by K-edge XANES spectroscopy

Summary Fine-grained homogeneous powder samples of thirteen trioctahedral micas, mostly intermediate members of the phlogopite – annite solid solution series, and samples close to the phlogopite, fluor-phlogopite and tetra-ferriphlogopite end members have been examined at the potassium K-edge by X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy. The interlayer K⁺ cation is in a coordination that is certainly lower than 12, in contrast to what is expected from the ideal hexagonal symmetry model of the mica structure, and approaches – but it does not reach – coordination 6, as it should be when the effective ligands are the three nearest outer bridging oxygens of two facing upper and lower tetrahedral sheets. The observed range of coordinations implies that only some of the three inner bridging oxygen atoms in each sheet are involved, thus leading to 6±(1 … 6) effective configurations depending on the composition of the individual mica terms. The effective coordination number was found to vary continuously with composition from 11 to 7 and to be related to the tetrahedral rotation angle (α) according to two different linear relationships for the phlogopite – annite series (Fe²⁺Mg₋₁ exchange vector, involving the octahedral sheet only) and the phlogopite – tetra-ferriphlogopite series (Fe³⁺Al₋₁ vector, involving the tetrahedral sheet), respectively. Substitutions affecting either the A cation in the interlayer or the X anion in the octahedral sheet also affect the observed trends. In particular, the latter substitution effect is best seen in two near end member phlogopites, where the fluorine to hydroxyl substitution (F⁻ (OH)⁻₋₁ exchange vector), which greatly changes the α tetrahedral rotation angle is, reflected in the experimental K XANES spectra by modifying not only the energy but also the intensities of most multiple scattering features.     

Note on the 57Fe mössbauer spectroscopy of oriented paramagnetic minerals

The theoretical variation law for the (saturation-free) intensity ratio of a paramagnetic doublet is written in a way which allows one to check easily whether or not experimental data which are intended to be fitted by a (saturation-free) theoretical spectrum or subspectrum follow actually this law. The expression of this law is still simplified by taking the absorber symmetries into account. This is illustrated by two examples: a sheet-silicate mosaic and an olivine single-crystal.     

An approach to the study of minerals using infrared photothermal beam deflection spectroscopy

Infrared (IR) spectra of minerals can be recorded by photothermal beam deflection spectroscopy with minimal sample preparation and even with no sample preparation at all. A modulated IR beam is focussed onto the sample, radiation selectively absorbed by the solid warms the solid and the air over it and brings about a refractive index gradient in the air, so that a laser beam grazing the solid's surface is deflected. Measurements of the deflections result in the IR photothermal absorption spectrum. Sample preparation steps can be avoided entirely, i.e., selected areas on the surface of a large specimed can be examined directly, provided that the laser probe beam can pass over the sample area. A minimal sample preparation, consisting of lightly grinding the sample by hand, increases sensitivity and avoids spectral reflection effects. Examples of application of the technique to carbonate and lead minerals are shown.     

29Si and 27Al MAS NMR spectroscopy of mullite

A ²⁹Si and ²⁷Al magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance study is reported for differently synthesized mullites. The ²⁹Si MAS NMR spectra of all samples are essentially identical. They consist of a main resonance at -86.8 ppm, a shoulder around -90 ppm and a second resonance at -94.2 ppm. The main resonance is interpreted as being due to a sillimanite-type geometry around Si and the second one is tentatively assigned to a Si environment typical for mullite. The ²⁷Al MAS NMR spectra of sinter- and fused-mullite measured at different Larmor frequencies revealed clearly the presence of three distinct Al sites in mullite, i.e. of octahedral (M1), tetrahedral (M2) and distorted tetrahedral (Al^*) sites.     

Distinction between six- and fourfold coordinated silicon in SiO2 polymorphs via electron loss near edge structure (ELNES) spectroscopy

Si K-, L- and O K-edge ELNES spectra of natural α-quartz and synthetic coesite on one side and synthetic stishovite on the other show characteristic differences that can be related, by comparison with multiple-scattering (MS) calculations, to the fourfold vs. sixfold coordination of Si in these polymorphs of SiO₂. It is shown by MS calculations on large clusters that the outer shells contribute relatively little to the overall topologies of the spectra. Therefore, distinction between fourfold- and sixfold-coordinated Si is possible even on a nm scale and probably also in amorphous substances.     

Batch and semi-continuous tests in the bioleaching of manganiferous minerals by heterotrophic mixed microorganisms

In the present paper a study on bioleaching of manganiferous ores by heterotrophic mixed cultures is reported. The main goal of this work has been to study the bioreduction process of MnO₂ in lab-scale reactor and pilot plant tests, in order to investigate the process' pergormances in a scale larger than in shaken flasks. Lab-scale reactor tests were carried out in a batch and in a semi-continuous regime, monitoring manganese extraction yields and microbial growth. In the bioleaching tests 95–100% of manganese extraction (in 36–48 h of treatment using a content of pulp equal to 20% (w/v) of ore having a Mn grade of 17–20%) was obtained. Final tests in a pilot plant (V = 70L) were performed under non-sterilised conditions. From the experimental results a flowsheet of the process has been proposed. An approximate economical analysis of the bioleaching process has also been reported. The experimental results showed the technical feasibility of the process although several problems have to be resolved to allow for a full-scale application, such as the biomass disposal, the purification of the leach liquor before the final manganese recovery and the too high cost of the process.     

高岭石和硅／铝-氧化物对腐殖酸的吸附实验研究

矿物结合的腐殖质可改变矿物的表面性质,矿物对腐殖酸的吸附强度与矿物的吸附位性质、密度、荷电性及比表面积有关.若按比表面积计算,矿物对腐殖酸的吸附强度顺序为氢氧化铝>高岭石>石英;按单位质量计算,吸附强度顺序为高岭石>氢氧化铝>石英.研究表明,矿物表面活性受水溶液pH值的调控,且当pH值在4～7时,上述3种矿物对腐殖酸的吸附机理为石英主要表现为氢键作用;氢氧化铝主要表现为配体交换表面配位作用;高岭石表现为多种形式并存,包括氢键、配体交换表面配位和疏水性作用以及金属离子桥键作用.