Effect of particle gradation on pore structure and seepage law of solution in weathered crust elution-deposited rare earth ores

Both CT and Avizo software were used to explore the effect of particle gradation on the evolution characteristics of pore structure and seepage paths in weathered crust elution-deposited rare earth ores during leaching.The results showed that the pore areas in four kinds of ore samples before leaching were mainly concentrated in 10^(4)–10^(7)μm^(2),whose pore quantities accounted for 96.89%,94.94%,90.48%,and 89.45%,respectively,while the corresponding pore volume only accounted for 30.74%,14.55%,7.58%,and 2.84%of the total pore volume.With the decrease of fractal dimension,the average pore throat length increased,but pore throat quantities,the average pore throat radius and coordination number decreased.Compared with that before leaching,the change degree of pore structure during leaching increased with the fractal dimension decreasing.For example,the reduction rate of the average coordination number of ore samples was 14.36%,21.30%,28.00%,and 32.90%,respectively.Seepage simulation results indicated that seepage paths were uniformly distributed before leaching while the streamline density and seepage velocity increased with the fractal dimension decreasing.Besides,the phenomenon of the streamline interruption gradually reduced during leaching while preferential seepage got more obvious with the decrease of the fractal dimension.

Onset and Stability of Thermally-Driven Fluid Convection in a Vertical Rock Crack and Their Implication for Hydrothermal Ore-Forming Processes

Dynamic equations controlling the thermally-driven fluid convection in a single rock crack are established in the paper . The critical criteria for the onset of convection in such a configuration are found by linear dynamic analysis of the equations and the stability of the convection discussed by nonlinear analysis method . The research demonstrates that the critical Rayleigh number has a magnitude 103. While the Rayleigh number R of real ore-forming fluids exceeds this value , the convection happens , and as R becomes larger , the fluid convection pattern develops from nonequilibrium steady states to double-periodically produced limit cycles and eventually to chaos (turbulences ).The implication of these dynamic analyses for the ore-forming processes of late-magma tic hydrothermal deposits is also discussed in the paper .

The occurrences and geochemical characteristics of thorium in iron ore in the Bayan Obo deposit, Northern China

The Bayan Obo deposit in northern China is an ultra-large Fe–REE–Nb deposit.The occurrences,and geochemical characteristics of thorium in iron ores from the Bayan Obo Main Ore Body were examined using chemical analysis,field emission scanning electron microscopy,energy dispersive spectrometer,and automatic mineral analysis software.Results identified that 91.69%of ThO2 in the combined samples was mainly distributed in rare earth minerals(bastnaesite,huanghoite,monazite;56.43%abundance in the samples),iron minerals(magnetite,hematite,pyrite;20.97%),niobium minerals(aeschynite;14.29%),and gangue minerals(aegirine,riebeckite,mica,dolomite,apatite,fluorite;4.22%).An unidentified portion(4.09%)of ThO2 may occur in other niobium minerals(niobite,ilmenorutile,pyrochlore).Only a few independent minerals of thorium occur in the iron ore samples.Thorium mainly occurs in rare earth minerals in the form of isomorphic substitution.Analyses of the geochemical characteristics of the major elements indicate that thorium mineralization in the Main Ore Body was related to alkali metasomatism,which provided source material and favorable porosity for hydrothermal mineralization.Trace elements such as Sc,Nb,Zr,and Ta have higher correlation coefficients with thorium,which resulted from being related to the relevant minerals formed during thorium mineralization.In addition,correlation analysis of ThO2 and TFe,and REO and TFe in the six types of iron ore samples showed that ThO2 did not always account for the highest distribution rate in rare earth minerals,and the main occurrence minerals of ThO2 were closely related to iron ore types.

Geological characteristics and metallogenic prognosis of main gold deposit in Altai gold ore belt, Xinjiang

Altai polymetallic mineralization belt is famous copper-polymetallic mineralization belt in the world. There are a lot of gold deposits in the Altai ore belt in Xinjiang, China. These gold deposits belong to two genetic types: volcanogene late-stage hydrothermal type and fractured altered rock type. The authors discuss mainly the geological and mineralized features of fractured altered rock type of gold deposits in Altai gold ore belt. Base on this study, the metallogenic law is summarized and the deep metallogenic prognosis has been done in Duolanasayi and Tuokuzibayi gold deposits, and some mineralized anomalys have been discovered.

PROSPECTING FOR LARGE TRIHYDROXY BAUXITE DEPOSITS IN CHINA: THINKING AND PERSPECTIVE

Large trihydroxy bauxite deposit was once considered unavailable in China.With the prospecting think-ing of diwa theory,the author has drawn a contrary conclusion.From the view of the law of progression with transformation between mobile and stable regions and the metallogenic specialization of tectonic elements,he reveals the principal reason why the known bauxite deposits in China are mostly of monohydroxide type,and acquires the way of searching for trihydroxide bauxite deposits.He considers that the residual-mobility period of the diwa stage in the crustal development in South China pocesses-tectonic conditions favourable to the formation of bauxite deposits of this type.He believes that the Cenozoic structural sublayer of the residual-mobility period of the diwa stage developed on the carbonate rock of the Paleozoic platformal structural layer is the preferrential target of prospecting.With this thinking and many years of efforts,we have gained prelimi-nary achievements and have discovered Guigang-type latee-ritic trihydroxied bauxite deposits in Guangxi.In future,by extension and analogy of the thinking,we are likely to find large,high-grade bauxite deposits in its vicinity and to discover weathering-type bauxite deposits with other parent rocks.