Minerals replacement reactions: understanding mineral formation under hydrothermal conditions

许多地质作用都涉及一种矿物向另一种矿物的转化。通过了解分子水平的反应机制，我们可以预测反应的进展速度以及最终产物的外观。该项目的重点是一种称为“耦合溶解-再沉淀”的反应机制，其中母矿物在反应前沿溶解成一层薄薄的流体，子矿物随后沉淀。这一概念将首次应用于硫化物矿物。研究结果在澳大利亚采矿业中有许多应用，特别是在提高镍矿石和金矿石的加工效率方面。

Many geological processes involve the transformation of one mineral into another. By understanding molecular-level reaction mechanisms, we can predict how fast reactions progress, and what the final product will look like. This project focuses on a reaction mechanism called 'coupled dissolution-reprecipitation', in which the parent mineral is dissolved into a thin layer of fluid at the reaction front, and the daughter mineral subsequently precipitates. This concept will be applied to sulfide minerals for the first time. The results have many applications for the Australian mining industry, in particular in improving the efficiency of the processing of Ni- and Au-ores.