The electrochemical reduction of xanthoconite, proustite, pyrostilpnite, and pyrargyrite was studied by abrasive stripping voltammetry, a technique which is based upon a preliminary mechanical transfer of trace amounts of the mineral onto the surface of a paraffin impregnated graphite electrode. Because the electrochemical reduction proceeds near to reversibility and is very similar for each pair of minerals, the peak potentials in differential pulse voltammetry can be used to calculate the standard enthalpy of phase transformation of xanthoconite to proustite and of pyrostilpnite to pyrargyrite:
T
H
(xanth
proust)
O = 35.46 ± 14.15 kJ/mol and
T
H
(pyrostilp
pyrarg)
O = 38.85 ± 6.60 kJ/mol. These values are not accessible otherwise until now.