High-pressure experimental growth of diamond using C–K2CO3–KCl as an analogue for Cl-bearing carbonate fluid

High-pressure, high-temperature diamond growth experiments have been conducted in the system C–K₂CO₃–KCl at 1050–1420 °C, 7.0–7.7 GPa. KCl is of interest because of the strong effect of halogens on the phase relations of carbonate-rich systems [Geophys. Res. Lett. 30 (2003) 1022] and because of the occurrence of KCl coexisting with alkali silicate–carbonate fluids in natural-coated diamond [Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 64 (2000) 717]. We have used system C–K₂CO₃–KCl as an analogue for these mantle fluids in diamond growth experiments. The presence of KCl reduces the potassium carbonate liquidus to ≤1000 °C at 7.7 GPa, allowing it to act as a solvent catalyst for diamond growth at temperatures below the continental geotherm. This is a reduction on the minimum diamond growth temperature reported in the alkali-carbonate–C–O–H system [Lithos 60 (2002) 145]. Diamond growth using carbonate solvent catalysts is characterised by a relatively long induction period. However, the addition of KCl also reduced the period for diamond growth in carbonate to 5 min; no such induction period appears to be necessary. It is suggested that KCl destabilises carbonate, allowing greater solubility and diffusion of carbon.     

Effective resource estimates for primary diamond deposits from the EKATI Diamond Mine™, Canada

Primary economic diamond deposit modelling has rarely been documented in the public domain. This paper presents information collected from significantly diamondiferous kimberlite pipes located near Lac de Gras in the Arctic region of Canada's Northwest Territories. The resource estimation process is widely accepted as a cyclical iteration of data collection and evaluation processes. A resource database is typically assembled from a large inventory of exploration data. These data must be methodically quality checked before accepting the information for interpretive analysis. The foundation of a mineral resource model is based on clear understanding of the geology model along with subsidiary grade, volume, and density models. Defining these models is an iterative process of statistical analyses and interpretation. As a deposit progresses along a path towards development, reducing risk to acceptable levels is critical for identifying and realizing its maximum value.     

金刚石表面金属化方法

介绍与论述提高金刚石工具使用效果的金刚石表现金属化方法。     

Thermal analysis in the laser-heated diamond anvil cell

A new technique actively controls thermal radiation and monitors sample properties during laser-heating in a diamond anvil cell. The technique can be described as a qualitative application of thermal analysis. Discontinuities in temperature, laser power, visible thermal radiation, or in their derivatives as functions of time can be associated with the enthalpy of phase transitions (such as melting) or with changes in maternal properties (such as emissivity).The technique is illustrated with melting experiments on iron-magnesium-silicate perovskite. Temperature corrections associated with these experiments are discussed and the results are briefly reviewed.     

山东金刚石原生矿找矿前景探讨

金刚石形成于地幔深处,含金刚石的岩石只是一种运载和保存"工具",凡是来自上地幔的岩石均有可能携带早已形成的金刚石而形成金刚石原生矿床.世界上已知金刚石原生矿除金伯利岩、钾镁煌斑岩型外,尚在橄榄岩、橄榄玄武岩、千枚岩、科马提岩、榴辉岩等岩石中发现了金刚石,可能存在金刚石原生矿新的岩石类型.山东位于华北地台的南东部,鲁西、鲁东基底属A型克拉通,幔源岩浆活动强烈,具备良好的金刚石原生矿成矿地质条件,已获得的大量的成矿信息和找矿线索表明,除已发现的蒙阴金伯利岩型金刚石原生矿外,应该存在着尚未发现的金刚石原生矿,找矿前景广阔,应进一步加强金刚石原生矿勘查工作.     

蛇绿岩型金刚石的特征

蛇绿岩型金刚石产在蛇绿岩地幔橄榄岩和铬铁矿中,不同于产在大陆克拉通的金伯利岩型金刚石,也不同于产在板块俯冲带中的超高压变质型金刚石和陨石撞击成因的金刚石。蛇绿岩型金刚石的主要特征是粒度普遍较小,多数在200~500μm之间,C同位素显示极低的δ13CVPDB值(-28‰~-18‰),金刚石中包裹体以含富Mn的矿物为特征,金刚石产在蛇绿岩大洋地幔橄榄岩中,其构造背景为板块缝合带。金伯利岩型金刚石粒度可达厘米级,是大颗粒宝石级金刚石的主要来源,其C同位素显示轻微低的δ13CVPDB值(-10‰~-5‰),包裹体矿物多为富Mg的矿物组合,金刚石产在克拉通和大陆岩石圈构造背景。超高压变质带中的金刚石颗粒十分细小,由数微米至100μm,C同位素为中等低的δ13CVPDB值(-15‰~-7‰),金刚石通常与碳酸岩和地壳成因矿物伴生,含有金刚石的超高压变质岩石形成的构造背景为板块深俯冲边界。形成于陨石撞击的金刚石产出和研究均较少,金刚石通常也是微米级,产出在陨石撞击形成的变质岩中,伴生矿物的成分与与撞击变质的原岩有关。以上四类金刚石无论野外和室内区分显著,由此,可以将蛇绿岩型金刚石归为地球上一种新的金刚石产出类型。     

Microscale Simultaneous Measurement of Carbon and Nitrogen Isotopes on Natural Diamond

Simultaneous analysis of carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios by SIMS was applied for the first-time to a natural diamond from the Kelsey Lake kimberlite, State Line Distinct, Colorado (UWD-1). This in situ procedure is faster, reduces sample size for analysis, and measures both isotope ratios from a single ~ 10 μm diameter pit, a critical advantage for zoned diamonds. The carbon isotope ratio (expressed as δ¹³C_VPDB) of the bulk UWD-1 crystal, determined by the conventional combustion method in the present study, is -5.9‰ ± 0.2‰ (VPDB, 2s). Nitrogen mass fraction ([N]) and isotope ratio (expressed as δ¹⁵N_Air) were determined by stepwise combustion and gas-source mass-spectrometry, resulting in 553 ± 64 μg g^-1 and -6.7‰ ± 1.1‰ (Air, 2s), respectively. Secondary ions of ¹²C₂^-, ¹²C¹³C^-, ¹²C¹⁴N^-, and ¹²C¹⁵N^- were simultaneously measured by SIMS using three Faraday cups and one electron multiplier. The spot-to-spot reproducibility of δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N values for the UWD-1 (178 spots on sixteen chips, 10 μm spots), were 0.3‰ and 1.6‰, respectively (2s). While ¹²C¹⁴N^-/¹²C₂^- ratios, which are an indicator for [N], varied up to 12% among these sixteen chips, such variation did not correlate with either δ¹³C or δ¹⁵N values. We propose that UWD-1 is a suitable reference sample for microscale in situ analysis of δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N values in diamond samples.     

S-wave velocity and Poisson''''s ratio structure of crust in Yunnan and its implication

Receiver function of body wave under the 23 stations in Yunnan was extracted from 3-component broadband digital recording of teleseismic event. Thus, the S-wave velocity structure and distribution characteristics of Poisson's ratio in crust of Yunnan are obtained by inversion. The results show that the crustal thickness is gradually thinned from north to south. The crustal thickness in Zhongdian of northwest reaches as many as 62.0 km and the one in Jinghong of further south end is only 30.2 km. What should be especially noted is that there exists a Moho upheaval running in NS in the Chuxiong region and a Moho concave is generally parallel to it in Dongchuan. In addition, there exists an obvious transversal inhomogeneity for the S-wave velocity structure in upper mantle and crust in the Yunnan region. The low velocity layer exists not only in 10.0-15.0 km in upper crust in some regions, but also in 30.0-40.0 km in lower crust. Generally, the Poisson's ratio is on the high side, however it has a better co     

P–V Equations of State and the relative stabilities of serpentine varieties

Serpentines are hydrous phyllosilicates which form by hydration of Mg–Fe minerals. The reasons for the occurrence of the structural varieties lizardite and chrysotile, with respect to the variety antigorite, stable at high pressure, are not yet fully elucidated, and their relative stability fields are not quantitatively defined. In order to increase the database of thermodynamic properties of serpentines, the P–V Equations of State (EoS) of lizardite and chrysotile were determined at ambient temperature up to 10 GPa, by in situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction in a diamond-anvil cell. Neither amorphization nor hysteresis was observed during compression and decompression, and no phase transition was resolved in lizardite. In chrysotile, a reversible change in compression mechanism, possibly due to an unresolved phase transition, occurs above 5 GPa. Both varieties exhibit strong anisotropic compression, with the c axis three times more compressible than the others. Fits to ambient temperature Birch–Murnaghan EoS gave for lizardite V ₀=180.92(3) Å³, K ₀ = 71.0(19) GPa and K′ ₀=3.2(6), and for chrysotile up to 5 GPa, V ₀ = 730.57(31) Å³ and K ₀ = 62.8(24) GPa (K′ ₀ fixed to 4). Compared to the structural variety antigorite is stable at high pressure (HP) (Hilairet et al. 2006), the c axis is more compressible in these varieties, whereas the a and b axes are less compressible. These differences are attributed to the less anisotropic distribution of stiff covalent bonds in the corrugated structure of antigorite. The three varieties have almost identical bulk compressibility curves. Thus the compressibility has negligible influence on the relative stability fields of the serpentine varieties. They are dominated by first-order thermodynamic properties, which stabilizes antigorite at high temperature with respect to lizardite, and by out-of-equilibrium phenomena for metastable chrysotile (Evans 2004).