chalcophile element

chemistry

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A chalcophile element is defined by its strong affinity for sulfur. In a molten state, these elements tend to concentrate within the sulfide phase. This classification was part of Victor Moritz Goldschmidt's geochemical grouping of elements, which also included lithophile (affinity for oxygen), siderophile (affinity for iron), and atmophile (gases) elements. Chalcophile elements primarily occur as sulfides.12

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chemical element
Elements of minor and trace abundance
Chalcophile elements are all of rather low abundance, and the minerals that they form, mainly sulfides and some arsenides, are not stable at the high temperatures of igneous crystallization. Sometimes these elements are found in granites and pegmatites—molybdenite (MoS₂) is a typical example. More frequently…
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Chalcophile elements are all of rather low abundance, and the minerals that they form, mainly sulfides and some arsenides, are not stable at the high temperatures of igneous crystallization. Sometimes these elements are found in granites and pegmatites—molybdenite (MoS₂) is a typical example. More frequently…
Read More