In-situ U-Pb dating of uraninite by fs-LA-ICP-MS

In this study, the Pb/U fractionation between zircon and uraninite during femtosecond Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry （fs-LA-ICP-MS） analysis was studied in detail. The results show significant Pb/U fractionation between zircon and uraninite during fs-LA-ICP-MS analysis that when calibrated against the zircon standard M257, the obtained U-Pb age of the Chinese national uraninite standard GBW04420 is 17% older than the recommended value. Thus, the accurate in-situ U-Pb dating of uraninite by LA-ICP-MS requires matrix-matched external standards for calibration. Uraninite in thin sections of two U-mineralized leucogranite from the Gaudeanmus in Namibia was analyzed by a fs-LA-ICP-MS equipped with a Signal Smooth Device （SSD）, using laser spot and frequency of 10 μm and 1 Hz, respectively. When calibrated using GBW04420 as the external standard, two samples give weighted mean 2066pb/238U ages of 504±3 Ma （2σ, n=21） and 503±3 Ma （2σ, n=22）, and only one of two samples yields a concordia U-Pb age of 507±1 Ma （2or, n=21）. These results are consistent with ID-TIMS U-Pb ages of 509±1 and 508±12 Ma and are also indistinguishable from zircon U-Pb upper intercept ages of 506±33 Ma （2σ, n=29） and 501±51 Ma （2σ, n=29）. The present study shows that in-situ U-Pb dating of uraninite can deliver more reliable formation ages of the deposit than dating coeval high-U zircon because the latter commonly suffer significant Pb loss after formation. Our results confirm that GBW04420 is an ideal matrix matching standard for in-situ U-Pb dating of uraninite.

Biomineralization of Uranium: A Simulated Experiment and Its Significance

A simulated experimental reduction of and the synthesis of uraninite by a sulfate-reducing bacteria, Desulfovibrio desulfuricans DSM 642, are first reported. The simulated physicochemical experimental conditions were: 35°C, pH=7.0-7.4, corresponding to the environments of formation of the sandstone-hosted interlayer oxidation-zone type uranium deposits in Xinjiang, NW China. Uraninite was formed on the surface of the host bacteria after a one-week's incubation. Therefore, sulfate-reducing bacteria, which existed extensively in Jurassic sandstone-producing environments, might have participated in the biomineralization of this uranium deposit. There is an important difference in the order- disorder of the crystalline structure between the uraninite produced by Desulfovibrio desulfuricans and naturally occurring uraninite. Long time and slow precipitation and growth of uraninite in the geological environment might have resulted in larger uraninite crystals, with uraninite nanocrystals arranged in order, whereas the experimentally produced uraninite is composed of unordered uraninite nanocrystals which, in contrast, result from the short time span of formation and rapid precipitation and growth of uraninite. The discovery has important implications for understanding genetic significance in mineralogy, and also indicates that in-situ bioremediation of U-contaminated environments and use of biotechnology in the treatment of radioactive liquid waste is being contemplated.

Kinetics of uranium extraction from coffinite——A comparison with other common uranium minerals

A synthetic coffinite was hydrothermally prepared and characterized before conducting a series of acid sulfate leach tests under conditions of relevance to uranium extraction.The results were then compared with similar studies on synthetic versions of the related U4+minerals uraninite(UO2)and brannerite(UTi2O6)to identify and differentiate the rate and U extraction among these important uranium minerals.Tests examining the influence of residence time on uranium dissolution from synthetic coffinite,uraninite and brannerite showed that under similar experimental conditions,complete dissolution of uranium from coffinite was obtained between 36 and 48 h.The activation energy for this reaction was calculated to be 38.4 kJ/mol.This represented a significantly slower rate of dissolution than that indicated for uraninite which dissolved in 3 h(Ea=15.2 kJ/mol).The synthetic brannerite was leached at a much slower rate than the coffinite and reached a maximum dissolution of^18%U in 144 h(Ea=42-84 kJ/mol).The clear differentiation in rates and U extraction among the three minerals is consistent with previous literatures which suggest that in terms of leachability,uraninite>coffinite>brannerite.It is expected that the presence of impurities in natural coffinites would further inhibit leachability.

Timing of Uranium Mineralization and Geological Implications of Shazijiang Granite-Hosted Uranium Deposit in Guangxi, South China: New Constraint from Chemical U-Pb Age

Miaoershan（MES） uranium ore field is one of the most important uranium sources in China, hosts the largest Chanziping carbonaceous-siliceous-pelitic rock type uranium deposit in South China together with many other granite-hosted uranium deposits. The Shazijiang（SZJ） uranium deposit is one of the representative granite-hosted uranium deposits in the MES uranium ore field, situated in the Ziyuan, Guangxi Province, South China. Uranium mineralization in the SZJ deposit mainly occurs as uraninite with quartz and calcite veins that is spatially associated with mafic dykes in the region. The hydrothermal alteration includes silicification, carbonation and hematitization. New uraninite chemical U-Pb geochronology and petrographic evidences provide the timing constraints and new insights into the formation of the SZJ uranium deposit. The results show that the first stage of uranium mineralization formed at 97.5±4.0 Ma, whereas another stage of uranium mineralization occurred at 70.2±1.6 Ma. Two stages of uranium mineralization are fairly consistent with two episodic crustal extensions that occurred at -100 and -70 Ma throughout South China. This study indicates that there are two uranium mineralization events in SZJ uranium ore field controlled by mafic dyke, supporting that mafic dykes play an important topochemical role in uranium concentration and/or mobilization. Therefore, geochemical U-Pb age firstly reinforces that ore-forming age of the SZJ uranium deposit mainly yields at 97.5±4.0 and 70.2±1.6 Ma. Additionally, geochemical age method is particularly useful for interest samples which record information on multi-stage uranium mineralizations in South China.

U-Blacks Mineralization in Sandstone Uranium Deposits

Ores of infiltration sandstone-hosted uranium deposits in the sedimentary cover are ubiquitous composed of dispersed soot powder mineralization of black,brownish-black colour.Longterm studies of such loose U-ores by analytical transmission electron microscopy(ATEM)proved their polymineral nature.Uranium blacks are composed by at least three different U-mineral forms:oxide(uraninite),silicate(coffinite)and phosphate(ningyoite)which are present in various proportions of ore compositions.Such high dispersed friable uranium formations are difficult to diagnose by traditional mineralogical methods(optical,XRD,IR and X-ray spectroscopy,etc.)which analyze total sample composition(phases mixture);their results characterize the dominant sample phase,omitting both sharply subordinate and X-ray amorphous phases.All research results are based on ATEM methods(SAED+EDS),which are optimal for crystallochemical diagnostics in the mineralogical study of such uranium ores.The article presents the diagnostic characteristics under electron microscope(EM)of uranous minerals from different sandstone deposits with their origin being discussed.