Health & Environmental Research Online (HERO)


Print Feedback Export to File
535386 
Journal Article 
Gold in Solution 
Williams-Jones, AE; Bowell, RJ; Migdisov, AA 
2009 
Yes 
Elements
ISSN: 1811-5209
EISSN: 1811-5217 
5 
5 
281-287 
English 
Although gold is a noble metal and is effectively insoluble even in strong acids, we have known for nearly 500 years that it can be concentrated to mineable levels by being transported as dissolved species in crustal fluids (indeed, most economic gold deposits owe their origin to this mode of transport). From alchemy and later experimental chemistry and geochemistry, we have developed an understanding of the solubility and speciation of gold in aqueous liquids and other crustal fluids. This knowledge informs us about the processes that promote the transport of gold in the Earth's crust, result in exploitable gold deposits and lead to the remobilization of gold in the surficial environment. 
gold; solubility; hydrothermal fluids; petroleum; supergene; witwatersrand basin; chloride complexes; natural-waters; south-africa; solubility; transport; deposits; nevada; vapor; microanalysis