Tellurium and Selenium Mineralogy of Gold Deposits in Northern Fennoscandia

Mineralization of Te and Se was found in gold deposits and uranium occurrences, located in the Paleoproterozoic greenstone belts in Northern Fennoscandia. These deposits are of different genesis, but all of them formed at the late stages of the Svecofennian orogeny, and they have common geochemical association of metals Au, Cu, Co, U, Bi, Te, and Se. The prevalentTe minerals are Ni and Fe tellurides melonite and frohbergite, and Pb telluride altaite. Bismuth tellurides were detected in many deposits in the region, but usually not more than in two–three grains. The main selenide in the studied deposits is clausthalite. The most diversified selenium mineralization (clausthalite, klockmannite, kawazulite, skippenite, poubaite) was discovered in the deposits, located in the Russian part of the Salla-Kuolajarvi belt. Consecutive change of sulfides by tellurides, then by selenotellurides and later by selenides, indicates increase of selenium fugacity, fSe2, in relation to fTe2 and to fS2in the mineralizing fluids. Gold-, selenium-, and tellutium-rich fluids are potentially linked with the post-Svecofennian thermal event and intrusion of post-orogenic granites (1.79–1.75 Ga) in the Salla-Kuolajarvi and Perapohja belts. Study of fluid inclusions in quartz from the deposits in the Salla-Kuolajarvi belt showed that the fluids were high-temperature (240–>300 °C) with high salinity (up to 26% NaCl-eq.). Composition of all studied selenotellurides, kawazulite-skippenite, and poubaite varies significantly in Se/Te ratio and in Pb content. Skippenite and kawazulite show the full range of Se-Te isomorphism. Ni-Co and Co-Fe substitution plays an important role in melonite and mattagamite: high cobalt was detected in nickel telluride in the Juomasuo and Konttiaho, and mattagamites from Ozernoe and Juomasuo contain significant Fe.In the Ozernoe uranium occurrence, the main mineral-concentrator of selenium is molybdenite, which contains up to 16 wt.% of Se in the marginal parts of the grains. The molybdenite is rich in Re (up to 1.2 wt.%), and the impurity of Re is irregularly distributed in molybdenite flakes and spherulites.

Formation conditions of noble metal mineralization in sulfide cobalt-copper-nickel ores of Kamchatka (on the example of Annabergitovaya Schel ore occurrence)

The authors present research results, the purpose of which is to study the specifics of noble metal mineralization and its genesis in sulfide cobalt-copper-nickel ores of the Kamchatka nickel-bearing province. The paper is dedicated to one of its many ore occurrences called Annabergitovaya Schel (Annabergite Gap). The material composition of platinoid, silver, gold, bismuth and tellurium minerals, as well as sulfarsenides in the ores of this occurrence was investigated. Based on the data of mineral formation sequence and the use of geosensors, conclusions were drawn regarding the genesis of noble metal mineralization. Formation of platinoid minerals, silver and gold at the Annabergitovaya Schel ore occurrence is mainly associated with the epigenetic effect of post-ore granitoids on ore-bearing intrusion rocks of the Dukuk complex of the cortlandite-norite formation and on syngenetic ores. An early association of noble metal minerals is represented by sperrylite, irarsite, and rare unnamed phases of Pt + Ir + Te. Irarsite and Pt + Ir + Te phases were formed at the contact-metasomatic stage. Sperrylite can be assumed to be of magmatic origin. Silver sulfides and tellurides, silver and palladium bismuth tellurides, and native gold were formed at the late, hydrothermal-metasomatic, stage. The occurrence conditions of mineral parageneses, associated with noble metal mineralization, correspond to the formation of shallow-depth metasomatic rocks (5 km). Sub-developed quartz-feldspar metasomatites, associated with the formation of early platinoid arsenides and sulfarsenides, are in equilibrium with circumneutral solutions (pH of 4.5-6.5) at temperatures of 350-600 °C. Late hydrothermal association with Pd, Ag and Au minerals is close to propylites and was formed at pH values of 4.5-6.5 and temperature of 150-350 °C.

Geochemical Features of the Tulallar Gold Ore Field

The article discusses the geochemical features of the Tulallar gold field in the Lesser Caucasus. Distributions of gold and accompanying elements (Ag, As, Hg, Bi, Cu, Zn) in metasomatically altered rocks taken from mine workings (ditches, adits, etc.) and wells are considered. The results of analyzes of furrow samples showed that the content of Au ranges from 0.4 ppm to 37.5 ppm, Ag - from 0.5 ppm to 48.4 ppm. In strongly kaolinized, weakly limonitized quartzites, the Au content ranged from 0.4 to 1.2 ppm, Ag - from 4.0 to 8.8 ppm. In the well drilled in the Central Block, closer to the surface, the siliceous breccias contain Au 309-363 ppm, Ag 132-250 ppm, and high As, Bi and Hg contents are also noted. A similar picture is observed in the silicified rocks of the wells of the Western block. Correlations between Au, Ag and other impurity elements were determined using the STAT program. A direct positive correlation has been established between Au and Ag, Au and Bi, Au and Hg. A positive relationship was also found between Ag and Bi, Ag and Hg. Cluster analysis revealed two different mineral associations: 1) native elements and their compounds - minerals and 2) polysulfide. The closest connection is observed between Ag, Hg and Au. Mineralogically, the Ag-Hg-Au-Bi cluster apparently corresponds to an early ore association - electrum, bismuth tellurides, possibly with inclusions of finely dispersed gold. The second, polymetallic cluster is characterized by a weak correlation bond Аs-Сu-Zn, which indicates that polysulfides were deposited later. The largest amount of Au was deposited in the early mineral association.

Layered Manganese Bismuth Tellurides with GeBi4Te7– and GeBi6Te10–type Structures: Towards Multifunctional Materials

<p>The crystal structures of new layered manganese bismuth tellurides with the compositions Mn0.85(3)Bi4.10(2)Te7 and Mn0.73(4)Bi6.18(2)Te10 were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, including the use of microfocused synchrotron radiation. These analyses reveal that the layered structures deviate from the idealized stoichiometry of the 12<i>P</i>-GeBi4Te7 (space group <i>P</i>3<i>m</i>1) and 51<i>R</i>-GeBi6Te10 (space group <i>R</i>3<i>m</i>) structure types they adopt. Modified compositions Mn1–<i>x</i>Bi4+2<i>x</i>/3Te7 (<i>x </i>= 0.15 – 0.2) and Mn1–<i>x</i>Bi6+2<i>x</i>/3Te10 (<i>x </i>= 0.19 – 0.26) assume cation vacancies and lead to homogenous bulk samples as confirmed by Rietveld refinements. Electron diffraction patterns exhibit no diffuse streaks that would indicate stacking disorder. The alternating quintuple-layer [M2Te3] and septuple-layer [M3Te4] slabs (M = mixed occupied by Bi and Mn) with 1:1 sequence (12<i>P </i>stacking) in Mn0.85Bi4.10Te7 and 2:1 sequence (51<i>R </i>stacking) in Mn0.81Bi6.13Te10 were also observed in HRTEM images. Temperature-dependent powder diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry show that the compounds are high temperature phases, which are metastable at ambient temperature. Magnetization measurements are in accordance with a MnII oxidation state and point at predominantly ferromagnetic coupling in both compounds. The thermoelectric figures of merit of n-type conducting Mn0.85Bi4.10Te7 and Mn0.81Bi6.13Te10 reach <i>zT </i>= 0.25 at 375 °C and <i>zT </i>= 0.28 at 325 °C, respectively. Although the compounds are metastable, compact ingots exhibit still up to 80% of the main phases after thermoelectric measurements up to 400 °C.</p>

Layered Manganese Bismuth Tellurides with GeBi4Te7– and GeBi6Te10–type Structures: Towards Multifunctional Materials

<p>The crystal structures of new layered manganese bismuth tellurides with the compositions Mn0.85(3)Bi4.10(2)Te7 and Mn0.73(4)Bi6.18(2)Te10 were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, including the use of microfocused synchrotron radiation. These analyses reveal that the layered structures deviate from the idealized stoichiometry of the 12<i>P</i>-GeBi4Te7 (space group <i>P</i>3<i>m</i>1) and 51<i>R</i>-GeBi6Te10 (space group <i>R</i>3<i>m</i>) structure types they adopt. Modified compositions Mn1–<i>x</i>Bi4+2<i>x</i>/3Te7 (<i>x </i>= 0.15 – 0.2) and Mn1–<i>x</i>Bi6+2<i>x</i>/3Te10 (<i>x </i>= 0.19 – 0.26) assume cation vacancies and lead to homogenous bulk samples as confirmed by Rietveld refinements. Electron diffraction patterns exhibit no diffuse streaks that would indicate stacking disorder. The alternating quintuple-layer [M2Te3] and septuple-layer [M3Te4] slabs (M = mixed occupied by Bi and Mn) with 1:1 sequence (12<i>P </i>stacking) in Mn0.85Bi4.10Te7 and 2:1 sequence (51<i>R </i>stacking) in Mn0.81Bi6.13Te10 were also observed in HRTEM images. Temperature-dependent powder diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry show that the compounds are high temperature phases, which are metastable at ambient temperature. Magnetization measurements are in accordance with a MnII oxidation state and point at predominantly ferromagnetic coupling in both compounds. The thermoelectric figures of merit of n-type conducting Mn0.85Bi4.10Te7 and Mn0.81Bi6.13Te10 reach <i>zT </i>= 0.25 at 375 °C and <i>zT </i>= 0.28 at 325 °C, respectively. Although the compounds are metastable, compact ingots exhibit still up to 80% of the main phases after thermoelectric measurements up to 400 °C.</p>

Layered manganese bismuth tellurides with GeBi4Te7- and GeBi6Te10-type structures: towards multifunctional materials

Non-stoichiometry is the key to single-phase layered compounds in the system Mn/Bi/Te, which is essential to evaluate their multifunctional properties.