Boron
Geochemical Symbol: B
Typical Detection Limit (Aqua Regia/ICP): 5 ppm. NOTE: tourmaline, the most common B-bearing mineral, resists strong-acid digestion.
Typical Detection Limit (Neutron Activation): N/A
Detectability

At background levels, frequency distributions truncated (censored) in most natural media

Exploration Geochemical Applications
1. As a Pathfinder

Tourmaline (typical formula NaFe++3Al6[BO3] 3Si6O18[OH]4) is an important accessory mineral in many types of gold deposit. However, this mineral is resistant to the strong-acid digestion routinely used in geochemical laboratories and dispersion patterns of B thus analyzed may be difficult to interpret.

2. As an Aid to Geological Mapping

Elevated B values may serve to "fingerprint" felsic intrusive rocks of distinctive composition and origin

Element Index Pages

Home Page