Stable isotope fractionation of chlorine during evaporation of brine from a saline lake

Brine from the saline Qarhan Lake was evaporated at 28±2 ℃in a clean environment. Two groups of experiments were conducted; one with complete separation of precipitate and brine at different stages of evaporation, and the other with continuous precipita- tion during the evaporation. Seventy-nine pre...

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Published inChinese science bulletin Vol. 57; no. 15; pp. 1833 - 1843
Main Authors Luo, ChongGuang, Xiao, YingKai, Ma, HaiZhou, Ma, YunQi, Zhang, YanLing, He, MaoYong
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Heidelberg Springer-Verlag 01.05.2012
SP Science China Press
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Summary:Brine from the saline Qarhan Lake was evaporated at 28±2 ℃in a clean environment. Two groups of experiments were conducted; one with complete separation of precipitate and brine at different stages of evaporation, and the other with continuous precipita- tion during the evaporation. Seventy-nine precipitate and brine samples were collected during the experiments, and the δ^37Cl values were determined using an improved thermal ionization mass spectrometry procedure for precise measurement of chlorine isotopes based on Cs2Cl^+ ions. Based on the concentrations of Na^+, K^+, and Mg^2+, evaporation was divided into three main precipitation stages as follows: halite dominant, carnallite dominant, and bischofite dominant. The δ^37Clsolid and δ^37Clliquid values of the precipitate and coexisting brine samples at different stages showed the following characteristics. The precipitates were enriched with δ^37Cl relative to the coexisting brine samples, and the δ^37Cl of both the precipitate and brine samples decreased gradually during evaporation. The fractionation factors (ah) between halite and brine were the highest, followed by that (ac) between carnallite and brine, and then that (ab) between bischofite and brine. The ac and ab values of less than one, which indicate the precipitate is enriched in 35^Cl, were found when the evaporation process entered a new stage. However, the δ^37Cl values of carnallite, bischofite, and the coexisting brine samples decreased during evaporation. The residual brine is a 35^Cl reservoir. The experimental phenomena were consistent with the δ^37Cl values in saline deposits in the literature. δ^37Cl can be used as an indicator of brine evaporation processes, which is important in the exploration of sylvinite deposits.
Bibliography:11-1785/N
Brine from the saline Qarhan Lake was evaporated at 28±2 ℃in a clean environment. Two groups of experiments were conducted; one with complete separation of precipitate and brine at different stages of evaporation, and the other with continuous precipita- tion during the evaporation. Seventy-nine precipitate and brine samples were collected during the experiments, and the δ^37Cl values were determined using an improved thermal ionization mass spectrometry procedure for precise measurement of chlorine isotopes based on Cs2Cl^+ ions. Based on the concentrations of Na^+, K^+, and Mg^2+, evaporation was divided into three main precipitation stages as follows: halite dominant, carnallite dominant, and bischofite dominant. The δ^37Clsolid and δ^37Clliquid values of the precipitate and coexisting brine samples at different stages showed the following characteristics. The precipitates were enriched with δ^37Cl relative to the coexisting brine samples, and the δ^37Cl of both the precipitate and brine samples decreased gradually during evaporation. The fractionation factors (ah) between halite and brine were the highest, followed by that (ac) between carnallite and brine, and then that (ab) between bischofite and brine. The ac and ab values of less than one, which indicate the precipitate is enriched in 35^Cl, were found when the evaporation process entered a new stage. However, the δ^37Cl values of carnallite, bischofite, and the coexisting brine samples decreased during evaporation. The residual brine is a 35^Cl reservoir. The experimental phenomena were consistent with the δ^37Cl values in saline deposits in the literature. δ^37Cl can be used as an indicator of brine evaporation processes, which is important in the exploration of sylvinite deposits.
saline lake, brine, evaporation, chlorine stable isotope, fractionation
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11434-012-4994-5
ObjectType-Article-1
SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
ObjectType-Feature-2
content type line 23
ISSN:1001-6538
1861-9541
DOI:10.1007/s11434-012-4994-5