John Lawson
10 years ago
As I have mentioned in other threads iron metal will provide lots of electrons for this necessary reduction process.
Eg nails, in timber, steel struts in the roof, corrugated iron, you can go on and on!
As long as the copper salts are in a conductive medium, this reduction takes place.
Tony Blair
10 years ago
BASum, yes, give me a shout and I'll give you some pointers. Some of the plans are rubbish and some are excellent. Give the record office a shout before you go as you'll need to book the map table. Some of the good plans are in the HB archive, rather than the usual MRO stuff.

As for copper staining, I thought the whole crux of the matter was driven by the H2SO4 coming from the biological breakdown of pyrite and then that causing all sorts of subsequent chains. I assume carbonates arise from carbonic acid being created by some part of the process somewhere from limey rocks. The chemistry of it is hugely complicated....lots of silica involved as well
John Mason
10 years ago
In the case I described the primary Cu source was a 5cm rib of rather sheared-up chalcopyrite. That would liberate both the metal and sulphate anions quite happily as it reacted with rainwater - which also contains dissolved carbon dioxide, so that carbonate ions are available to make malachite. The site is not far from the coast and in storms salt spray gets well inland, making available the chloride ions for connellite to form. I guess the copper and cuprite, forming within the rock itself, point to the anoxic conditions in such places, not exposed directly to the air.
BASum
  • BASum
  • 50.2% (Neutral)
  • Newbie
10 years ago
[img]http://1drv.ms/1tdSZNC[/img]

This is a photo that is a photo i took at engine shaft in the speed workings (sorry about the poor quality, I only had my phone one me yesterday), definitely a lot of Cu(II)S04 and Cu(II)CO3 (I think).

RE tony blair: Will be pming you soon, would be great to speak to someone else with local knowledge!

http://1drv.ms/1tdSZNC 
Holes before hoes
Tony Blair
10 years ago
Sounds like Wheal Speed South Lode to me.

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