Search

In these experiments approximately 25 common minerals were allowed to react with 1-2 C, pH 7.5-8.5 seawater having different dissolved silica concentrations, and the increase or decrease in dissolved silica was monitored with time. What makes these experiments unique is that they were done at low temperature (1-2 C) and that the solutions were periodically centrifuged and a new solution having the original dissolved silica concentration was re-introduced. In addition, specific surface areas of the minerals were determined before and after the experiment to monitor whatever changes might have occurred and to allow for these changes in the ensuing calculations. The report is divided into two sections; the first gives the raw data and preliminary calculations and the second gives elemental analyses of each mineral and references to analogous analyses by other workers. X-ray diffraction analyses were done on all samples, and listings of the positions of the major peaks are available upon request.