Occurrence modes of silver in the Ni-Mo-PGE polymetallic layer of the Lower Cambrian black shales in Zunyi, Guizhou Province, South China

Abstract

The Ni-Mo-PGE polymetallic mineralization of the Lower Cambrian black shales locate in Zunyi, South China and contain abundant noble metals such as Ag, Au and PGE, and especially Ag with average concentration of 64×10−6. The occurrence modes of Ag have been investigated using methods of selective chemical dissolution and transmission electron microscopy. The results demonstrate that the occurrence modes of Ag are complex and diversiform. It might be associated with clay minerals, organic matter, sulfides and also occurred as native silver and sulfides with nanometer in size. Combined with results of previous studies, we suggest that the sulfides, clay minerals and organic matter which hosted in the Ni-Mo-PGE polymetallic ores of black shales can play the roles of important reduction and adsorption geochemical barriers for the enrichment and distribution of silver. This study further implies that the selective chemical dissolution and transmission electron microscopy may pave the way to study the occurrence modes of other noble metals in black shales.