Abstract

Abstract Au 2 Te has previously been reported as a new mineral, although without adequate mineralogical data. Examination of Au 2 Te grains from the Sandaowanzi gold deposit, utilizing optical microscope, EPMA, SEM backscattered electron, and X-ray images revealed an apparently homogeneous composition leading to its examination as a possible new mineral. However, high resolution SEM, TEM, and micro-zone XRD analyses demonstrate that the Au 2 Te phase gives a false stoichiometry and is not a new mineral species, but a mixture of native gold and calaverite with a nanographic texture that is highly comparable to that of the Turing pattern. This finding implies that the nanographic textures of Au 2 Te composed of alternating growth layers of native gold (Au) and calaverite (AuTe 2 ) are attributable to decomposition or breakdown of the previous metastable phases during cooling.

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