Dear kamal,
I have just completed mineral separation from a number of FeOX
deposits from the Chilean Iron Belt, so its both fresh in my head as
well as my eyes! Initally, I thought separation through a column of
sodium polytunstate would be the best and quickest way to separate my
samples. However, unfortunately because of the high and similar
specific gravity of apatite, actinolite and magnetite this did not
work well. Instead a strong magnet, patience and a binocular
microscope seemed the only absolute means of getting a pure sample.
However, in an Fe-skarn, separation through sodium polytunstate may
be useful in separating the carbonate minerals from the more dense
ones.
Therefore, although not a fast means of mineral separation, this is
the way I found best:
Crush rocks and sieve to particles between 125 and ~180 microns
Clean samples in distilled water to remove any fine particulate
matter (especially on magnetite)
Remove magnetite with strong magnet. Cover the magnet with a small
sample bag so you do not get any cross contamination. (NOTE you will
pick up any material with magnetite inclusions, so this will have to
be further separated)
Hand pick pure magnetite. A wooden sharpened toothpick works well
here. Any metallic object tends to deflect the sample (depending on
the sample, it can take from 2 to 4 hours to hand pick 0.2g)
For the other minerals such as apatite, actinolite, sulphides or
quartz I again hand picked these. The apatites were quite easy as
they had a distinct pink colour. The actinolite was very difficult to
separate in my as samples they had a large number of magnetite
inclusions.
Although specific to a magmatic-hydrothermal FeOx deposits a good
review of magnetite geochemistry is given in
Naslund, Aguirre, Dodds, Henriquez, and Nystrom, 2000. The origin,
emplacement, and eruption of ore magmas. IX Congresso Geologico
Chilena, 135-139
All the best and good hunting!
Des Leech
Dear All,
I'm a postgraduate student working on Fe Skarn
deposits in NW IRAN. I need to separate Magnetite &
Hematite from other minerals in my rocks. Any
suggestion for separation method is welcome.
Also I am looking for a paper by
Frietsch,R.(1970)Trace elements in magnetite and
hematite mainly from northern Sweden.
Sveriges,Geol,Ser.,C.,646,132p.
Can any-body provide me with a copy?
Is there anyother new poblications on bivariant
diagrams of Co/V, Co/Ni,... for determination of
geochemical charactristics of Fe deposits?
Thanks
K.S.
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--------- Geo-mineralisation is administered by the Mineral Deposits
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Desmond Leech
Centre for Earth and Environmental Science Research,
Kingston University,
Penrhyn Road,
Surrey KT1 2EE.
PH. (0)20 85472000 ext 2215
FAX (0)20 85477497
EMAIL [log in to unmask]
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Geo-mineralisation is administered by the Mineral Deposits Studies Group (UK)
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