Chemical weathering of cassiterite as the basis for the formation of biogeochemical scattering haloes of tin in plants

The experimental simulation of cassiterite (tinstone) chemical weathering in laboratory conditions was undertaken to prove natural weathering of this mineral in the hyper genesis zone, which causes the formation of biogeochemical scattering haloes of tin in plants. Distilled water, low-molecular acids (ethane and citric) and sulfuric acid served as solubilizing agents. Their concentrations were close to natural. All four agents were found to effectively dissolve cassiterite, which was taken as fractions less than 0.25 mm in size. Ranked by the solution action degree the agents make the following sequence: water - ethane acid - citric acid - sulfuric acid.