THE FIRST REPORT OF PLATINUM-GROUP MINERALS IN MAGNETITE-BEARING GABBRO, FREETOWN LAYERED COMPLEX, SIERRA LEONE: OCCURRENCES AND GENESIS

2013 ◽  
Vol 51 (3) ◽  
pp. 455-473 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. F. W. Bowles ◽  
H. M. Prichard ◽  
S. Suarez ◽  
P. C. Fisher
Keyword(s):  
Sierra Leone ◽  
First Report ◽  
Platinum Group Minerals ◽  
Platinum Group ◽  
Layered Complex

scholarly journals Tamuraite, Ir5Fe10S16, a New Species of Platinum-Group Mineral from the Sisim Placer Zone, Eastern Sayans, Russia

Minerals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 545
Author(s):  
Andrei Y. Barkov ◽  
Nadezhda D. Tolstykh ◽  
Robert F. Martin ◽  
Andrew M. McDonald
Keyword(s):  
National Laboratory ◽  
X Ray Diffraction ◽  
Calculated Density ◽  
Cell Parameters ◽  
Reflected Light ◽  
Platinum Group Minerals ◽  
Platinum Group ◽  
Probable Space ◽  
Layered Complex ◽  
Residual Melt

Tamuraite, ideally Ir5Fe10S16, occurs as discrete phases (≤20 μm) in composite inclusions hosted by grains of osmium (≤0.5 mm across) rich in Ir, in association with other platinum-group minerals in the River Ko deposit of the Sisim Placer Zone, southern Krasnoyarskiy Kray, Russia. In droplet-like inclusions, tamuraite is typically intergrown with Rh-rich pentlandite and Ir-bearing members of the laurite–erlichmanite series (up to ~20 mol.% “IrS2”). Tamuraite is gray to brownish gray in reflected light. It is opaque, with a metallic luster. Its bireflectance is very weak to absent. It is nonpleochroic to slightly pleochroic (grayish to light brown tints). It appears to be very weakly anisotropic. The calculated density is 6.30 g·cm−3. The results of six WDS analyses are Ir 29.30 (27.75–30.68), Rh 9.57 (8.46–10.71), Pt 1.85 (1.43–2.10), Ru 0.05 (0.02–0.07), Os 0.06 (0.03–0.13), Fe 13.09 (12.38–13.74), Ni 12.18 (11.78–13.12), Cu 6.30 (6.06–6.56), Co 0.06 (0.04–0.07), S 27.23 (26.14–27.89), for a total of 99.69 wt %. This composition corresponds to (Ir2.87Rh1.75Pt0.18Ru0.01Os0.01)Σ4.82(Fe4.41Ni3.90Cu1.87Co0.02)Σ10.20S15.98, calculated based on a total of 31 atoms per formula unit. The general formula is (Ir,Rh)5(Fe,Ni,Cu)10S16. Results of synchrotron micro-Laue diffraction studies indicate that tamuraite is trigonal. Its probable space group is R–3m (#166), and the unit-cell parameters are a = 7.073(1) Å, c = 34.277(8) Å, V = 1485(1) Å3, and Z = 3. The c:a ratio is 4.8462. The strongest eight peaks in the X-ray diffraction pattern [d in Å(hkl)(I)] are: 3.0106(26)(100), 1.7699(40)(71), 1.7583(2016)(65), 2.7994(205)(56), 2.9963(1010)(50), 5.7740(10)(45), 3.0534(20)(43) and 2.4948(208)(38). The crystal structure is derivative of pentlandite and related to that of oberthürite and torryweiserite. Tamuraite crystallized from a residual melt enriched in S, Fe, Ni, Cu, and Rh; these elements were incompatible in the Os–Ir alloy that nucleated in lode zones of chromitites in the Lysanskiy layered complex, Eastern Sayans, Russia. The name honors Nobumichi Tamura, senior scientist at the Advanced Light Source of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California.

The chemistry, reflectance, and cell size of the erlichmanite (OsS2)-laurite (RuS2) series

1983 ◽  
Vol 47 (345) ◽  
pp. 465-471 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. F. W. Bowles ◽  
D. Atkin ◽  
J. L. M. Lambert ◽  
T. Deans ◽  
R. Phillips
Keyword(s):  
Solid Solution ◽  
Cell Size ◽  
Sierra Leone ◽  
Crystal Chemistry ◽  
First Report ◽  
Complete Solid Solution ◽  
A Cell ◽  
Platinum Group

AbstractMicroprobe analyses of members of the erlichmanite-laurite series from Guma Water and Senduma, Sierra Leone and Tanah Laut, Borneo, indicate that complete solid solution is possible between OsS2 and RuS2 with considerable substitution of Os and Ru by Ir, Rh, and Pt. The cell size of the erlichmanite from Guma Water is a = 5.6183±0.0003 Å at a composition (Os0.61Ru0.30Ir0.06Rh0.03)Σ0.93S2 whilst the laurite from Senduma has a composition of (Ru0.88Os0.05Ir0.04 Rh0.03)Σ0.93S2 and a cell size of a = 5.6089±0.0005 Å. Substitution of Os for Ru provides the predominant cause of the variation of cell size. Substitution by other elements of the platinum group appears to produce little effect on cell size and is presumably controlled by genesis rather than considerations of crystal chemistry or structure. The recorded analyses for these elements indicate a pre-dominance of Ir over Rh for members of the series containing more than about 15% of the laurite molecule. For the remainder of the series Rh is more important than Ir. The reflectance in air and oil of the members of the series from Sierra Leone and Borneo are presented and the microhardness of the erlichmanite from Guma Water shown to be 1854 kg/mm2. This is the first report of laurite from Senduma, Sierra Leone.

First report of platinum-group minerals from a hornblende gabbro dyke in the vicinity of the Southeast Extension Zone of the Voisey’s Bay Ni-Cu-Co deposit, Labrador

2007 ◽  
Vol 92 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 129-164 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. A. E. Huminicki ◽  
P. J. Sylvester ◽  
R. Lastra ◽  
L. J. Cabri ◽  
D. Evans-Lamswood ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
First Report ◽  
Hornblende Gabbro ◽  
Platinum Group Minerals ◽  
Extension Zone ◽  
Platinum Group

Inclusions in an isoferroplatinum nugget from the Freetown Layered Complex, Sierra Leone

2018 ◽  
Vol 82 (3) ◽  
pp. 577-592 ◽  
Author(s):  
John F. W. Bowles ◽  
Saioa Suárez ◽  
Hazel M. Prichard ◽  
Peter C. Fisher
Keyword(s):  
Sierra Leone ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Solid Solution Series ◽  
Cu Alloy ◽  
Platinum Group Minerals ◽  
Last Stage ◽  
Layered Complex ◽  
Textural Evidence ◽  
Mineralogical Assemblage ◽  
Compositional Zonation

ABSTRACTInclusions of platinum-group minerals (PGM) within alluvial isoferroplatinum nuggets from the Freetown Peninsula, Sierra Leone, are aligned with their shape determined by the structure of their host. The edges of the majority of the inclusions lie at 0°, 45° or 90° to external crystal edges of the nugget which shows that the inclusions are not randomly oriented earlier minerals incorporated within their host. The inclusions are later infills, probably formed at the surface of the nugget during growth and subsequently enclosed by the growing nugget. PGM on the present surface of the nugget represent the last stage of this partnership. A single nugget containing abundant inclusions is described here but similar features are observed in other nuggets from the same area. The inclusions contain laurite (RuS2), irarsite–hollingworthite (IrAsS–RhAsS), Pd–Te–Bi–Sb phases, Ir-alloy, Os-alloy, Pd-bearing Au, an Rh–Te phase, Pd–Au alloy and Pd–Pt–Cu alloy. PGM found on the nugget surface include laurite, irarsite and cuprorhodsite (CuRh2S4). The Pd–Te–Bi–Sb phases may include Sb-rich keithconnite (Pd20S7) and compositions close to the kotulskite–sobolevskite solid-solution series (PdTe–BiTe). Textural evidence suggests that formation of the nuggets began with the isoferroplatinum host and the voids were filled starting intergrowths of laurite and irarsite–hollingworthite with both laurite and irarsite–hollingworthite often showing compositional zonation and each of them replacing the other. Filling of the voids probably continued with Pd-Cu-bearing gold, Sb-rich keithconnite (Pd,Pt)20.06(Te,Sb,Bi)6.94, keithconnite, telluropalladinite Pd9(Te,Bi)4, RhTe and finally Ir-alloy and then Os-alloy. The nuggets are thought to be neoform growths in the organic- and bacterial-rich soils of the tropical rain forest cover of the Freetown intrusion. The mineralogical assemblage in the layered gabbros of the intrusion has been previously shown to differ from the alluvial assemblage in the rivers and these inclusions, not seen in Pt3Fe in the unaltered rocks, add a further item to the catalogue of differences.

Platinum-group minerals from Seyba, Eastern Sayans, Russia, and substitutions in the PGE-rich pentlandite and ferhodsite series

2019 ◽  
Vol 83 (4) ◽  
pp. 531-538
Author(s):  
Andrei Y. Barkov ◽  
Gennadiy I. Shvedov ◽  
Andrey A. Nikiforov ◽  
Robert F. Martin
Keyword(s):  
Primary Source ◽  
Platinum Group Elements ◽  
Tectonic Activity ◽  
Recent Period ◽  
Platinum Group Minerals ◽  
Alluvial Gold ◽  
Platinum Group ◽  
Layered Complex

AbstractChromitite zones associated with ultramafic units of the Lysanskiy layered complex of dunite–peridotite–gabbro composition could well represent the primary source for the placers bearing platinum-group minerals (PGM) of the entire drainage of the River Sisim and its tributaries, the rivers Ko and Seyba, eastern Sayans. Alluvial gold present in the placers of River Seyba, as elsewhere in the Sisim Placer Zone, reflects mineralisation during a recent period of tectonic activity. We focus on the PGM in the Seyba suite, and in particular on the attributes of pentlandite enriched in platinum-group-elements (PGE) and the compositionally similar and recently defined ferhodsite, which were trapped in host grains of Os–Ir–Ru alloy. Both minerals formed from small volumes of fractionated Fe–Ni–Cu melt considerably enriched in the PGE. In the Seyba suite, as in several others, the amounts of PGE in ferhodsite exceeds that in pentlandite, which results in a greater proportion of vacancies than in pentlandite.

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