A scale of dissolution for quartz and its implications for diagenetic processes in sandstones

ABSTRACT During diagenesis quartz grains undergo selective dissolution, controlled in location by the surface energy characteristics of the individual grains. Experimental etching in HF of isolated quartz grains reproduces comparable textures to those of natural occurrences. Some experimental results illustrate the specific effects of surface textures on their initial dissolution rates, so demonstrating the control surface energy variation has over dissolution. A hierarchy of grain surface characteristics, according to surface energies, provides a useful guide to the relative rates of dissolution during decomposition.