Nanoscale and Atomistic Processes in Minerals
Author | : Martin Herbert Reich Morales |
Publisher | : |
Total Pages | : 137 |
Release | : 2006 |
Genre | : |
ISBN | : 9780542922923 |
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Apart from, e.g., the gold-content dependence on the arsenic content of pyrite, the stability of nanoscale phases in geologic systems is strongly dependent on particle size and temperature. Results from heating experiments under high-resolution observation show that when incorporated in an arsenian pyrite host, gold nanoparticles become unstable unless the nanoparticle size-distribution is coarsened by Ostwald ripening. In this context, our observations reveal that gold nanoparticles remain stable until they start to coarsen into larger particles above ∼370°C. Therefore, nanoparticulate metals, usually thought to be prevalent at low-temperatures (T