YUAN Jiang-yan¹, ZHAO Chang-chun², CHENG Yao¹

(1. School of Materials Science and Technology, China University of Geosciences, Beijing 100083, China;
2. School of Science, China University of Geosciences, Beijing 100083, China)

Abstract：Tourmaline samples from Xinjiang (number XJ1，XJ2) and Sichuan (number SC1) Provinces of China were sliced, polished and oriented; the leakage current and electrical hysteresis loop of three kinds of tourmalines were measured at room temperature, and the influence of leakage conductance in Fe-Mg tourmalines on their spontaneous polarization was discussed. Results show a slight leakage phenomenon, and the leakage current has small fluctuations in the initial time. The leakage current tends to be stable with the extension of time, when applied electric field is added to the tourmalines. Changes between leakage current and voltage are stable under lower applied voltage at the same polarization time. The leakage current increases dramatically with increasing applied voltage. The leakage current shows SC1>XJ2>XJ1. And when added to the same applied electric field, the strength of spontaneous polarization shows SC1>XJ2>XJ1. The study indicates that the leakage current of tourmalines increases with increasing strength of spontaneous polarization.

Key words: tourmaline; spontaneous polarization; leakage conductance

ACTA MINERALOGICA SINICA Vol. 34, No. 2, 2014, Page 194-198