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Kurnakovite deposits on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (II): an investigation from chemical kinetics of chloropinnoite dissolution

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Abstract

Lakes on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP) are of particular interest to researchers because of their unusual high concentrations of lithium (Li), boron (B), and potassium (K). Kurnakovite, a member of the inderite group, is well-distributed on the QTP, however, the geochemical mechanisms of kurnakovite transformation requires further identification and clarification. This study aims to elucidate the geochemical mechanisms of kurnakovite deposits on the QTP from chloropinnoite dissolution using chemical kinetic and spectroscopic techniques. The new borate, chloropinnoite 2MgO · 2B2O3 · MgCl2 · 14H2O, was obtained from the natural concentrated salt lake brine on the QTP. The kinetics of chloropinnoite dissolved in 4.5 % (wt%) boric acid solution at 303, 313, and 323 K were investigated. The characterization of the phase transitions and the kinetics were carried out by chemical titration analysis, X-ray powder diffraction spectrometry, Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR), and Raman spectrometry. The results demonstrate that similar kinetic processes occur at all three temperatures and can be divided into dissolution, supersaturation, and precipitation, according to three distinct kinetic curves. Kurnakovite was the final phase transition (terminal secondary mineral) within the chloropinnoite-boric acid solution. The dissolution rate of chloropinnoite (the dissolution stage) could be described by second order pseudo-homogeneous reaction model. According to the spectroscopy data, geochemical mechanism of kurnakovite was identified. The new geochemical hypothesis well explains the geochemical mechanism of kurnakovite minerals on the QTP.

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Acknowledgments

This research is financially supported by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (GK200902024) and the National Natural Science Foundation (No. 29971032). We especially thank our respectable supervisor Shiyang Gao and co-supervisor professor Dr. Zhihong Liu. Also, many thanks should be given to the journal Editor-in-Chief and many anonymous referees for their suggestions. Opinions in the paper do not constitute an endorsement or approval by the funding agencies and only reflect the personal research views of the authors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Tourism and Environment, Shaanxi Normal University, No.199 Chang’an South Street, Xi’an, Shaanxi, 710062, People’s Republic of China

    X. Li

  2. College of Chemistry and Materials, Shaanxi Normal University, 710062, Xi’an, People’s Republic of China

    S. Gao, Z. Liu & S. Xia

  3. Institute of Salt Lakes, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi’an Branch, Xi’an, Shaanxi, 710043, People’s Republic of China

    S. Gao, Z. Liu & S. Xia

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  1. X. Li
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  2. S. Gao
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  4. S. Xia
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Correspondence to X. Li.

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Li, X., Gao, S., Liu, Z. et al. Kurnakovite deposits on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (II): an investigation from chemical kinetics of chloropinnoite dissolution. Environ Earth Sci 70, 1151–1158 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-012-2202-1

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