摘要
AT present, the main source of germanium includes two types of ore deposits: some sulfide-rich Pb, Zn,Cu, Ag and An deposits and some coal deposits. Germanium occurs as an associated element in these oredeposits. The Lincang germanium deposit discovered recently in China occurs in a basin where there areexposed the Neogene coal-bearing clastic rocks with Indosinian Ge-rich (（1.9-5.0）×10<sup>-6</sup>) granitesas the basement in Lincang County, Yunnan Province. Germanium is mainly concentrated in the coalseams of the first coal-bearing horizon (N<sub>th</sub><sup>2</sup>) and in regard to its grade (normally n×100×10<sup>-6</sup> with themaximum over 1000×10<sup>-6</sup>) and scale （the proven reserve about 800 t）, no such germanium mineralization has been reported so far in other parts of the world. What is the reason? The available studies have indicated that this germanium deposit is of epigenetic origin, whichdetermines that germanium must have been transferred into coal with the help of a kind of medium. It isnoticed that （i） organic germanium in natural waters is stable and it is never involved in its
