Boron isotopic fractionation in laboratory inorganic carbonate precipitation: Evidence for the incorpora-tion of B（OH）₃ into carbonate

【摘要】 A laboratory inorganic carbonate precipitation experiment at high pH of 8.96 to 9.34 was conducted, and the boron isotopic fractionations of the precipitated carbonate were measured. The data show that boron isotopic fractionation factors (αcarb-3) between carbonate and B(OH)3 in seawater range 0.937 and 0.965, with an average value of 0.953. Our results together with those reported by Sanyal and collabo-rators show that the αcarb-3 values between carbonate and B(OH)3 in solution are not constant but are negatively correlated with the pH of seawater. The measured boron isotopic compositions of carbonate precipitation (δ11Bcarb) do not exactly lie on the best-fit theoretical δ 11B4-pH curves and neither do they exactly parallel any theoretical δ 11B4-pH curves. Therefore, it is reasonable to argue that a changeable proportion of B(OH)3 with pH of seawater should also be incorporated into carbonate except for the dominant incorporation of B(OH)4- in carbonate . Hence, in the reconstruction of the paleo-pH of sea-water from boron isotopes in marine biogenic carbonates, the use of theoretical boron isotopic frac-tionation factor (α4-3) between B(OH)4- and B(OH)3 is not suitable. Instead, an empirical equation should be established.更多还原

【Abstract】 A laboratory inorganic carbonate precipitation experiment at high pH of 8.96 to 9.34 was conducted, and the boron isotopic fractionations of the precipitated carbonate were measured. The data show that boron isotopic fractionation factors (αcarb-3) between carbonate and B(OH)3 in seawater range 0.937 and 0.965, with an average value of 0.953. Our results together with those reported by Sanyal and collabo-rators show that the αcarb-3 values between carbonate and B(OH)3 in solution are not constant but are negatively correlated with the pH of seawater. The measured boron isotopic compositions of carbonate precipitation (δ11Bcarb) do not exactly lie on the best-fit theoretical δ 11B4-pH curves and neither do they exactly parallel any theoretical δ 11B4-pH curves. Therefore, it is reasonable to argue that a changeable proportion of B(OH)3 with pH of seawater should also be incorporated into carbonate except for the dominant incorporation of B(OH)4- in carbonate . Hence, in the reconstruction of the paleo-pH of sea-water from boron isotopes in marine biogenic carbonates, the use of theoretical boron isotopic frac-tionation factor (α4-3) between B(OH)4- and B(OH)3 is not suitable. Instead, an empirical equation should be established.更多还原