Origin of the Pd-Rich Pentlandite in the Massive Sulfide Ores of the Talnakh Deposit, Norilsk Region, Russia

Pd-rich pentlandite (PdPn) along with ore-forming pentlandite (Pn) occurs in the cubanite and chalcopyrite massive sulfide ores in the EM-7 well of the Southern-2 ore body of the Talnakh deposit. PdPn forms groups of small grains and comprises marginal areas in large crystals of Pn. The palladium content in PdPn reaches up to 11.26 wt.%. EDS elemental mapping and a contour map of palladium concentrations indicate distinct variations in the palladium content within and between individual grains. Palladium distribution in the large grains is uneven and non-zoned. PdPn was formed as the result of a superimposed process, which is not associated with either the sulfide liquid crystallization or the subsolidus transformations of sulfides. Deming regression calculations demonstrated the isomorphic substitution character of Ni by 0.71 Pd and 0.30 Fe (apfu), leading to PdPn occurrence. The replacement of Ni by Fe may also indicate a change in sulfur fugacity, compared to that taking place during the crystallization of the primary Pn. The transformation of Pn into PdPn could have occurred under the influence of a Pd-bearing fluid, which separated from the crystallizing body of the massive sulfide ores.

Menshikovite Pd3Ni2As3 and associated minerals of sulphide ores within the Eastern flank of the Oktyabrsky deposit (Norilsk ore field)

Significant amount of menshikovite (rare palladium and nickel arsenide) Pd3Ni2As3 was found on the Eastern flank of the Oktyabrsky deposit (Norilsk ore field), near the contact of solid and impregnation sulfide Co-Ni-Cu ores among magnetite-plagioclase-fassaite skarns. Sulfide material of both ores consists of chalcopyrite, pentlandite, pyrrhotite and cubanite aggregates, which are the products of subsolidus transformations of high-temperature solid solutions Iss3, Iss4 and subordinate Mss; with interpositions of later Se-galenite. Menshikovite in association with mertieite-II, silver-gold (fineness 756–706), golden-electrum (fineness 694–672), kotulskite, moncheite, rare altaite, hessite, naldrettite and melonite forms small (up to 30 microns) metasomatic growths on the contact of silicate matrix and magmatogenic sulfide aggregates. The average composition of menshikovite is close to theoretical data: (Pd2,98Ru0,03)3,01(Ni1,89Fe0,-08Co0,01)1,98 (As2,94Se0,04Bi0,02Sn0,01)3,01. Sperrylite metacrystals cut the borders of menshikovite accretions as well as other minerals of precious metals and contain “corroded” inclusions. This association of minerals of noble metals has arisen under the increased activity of As, Te, Sb, Bi and low activity of Sn in fluids. Menshikovite is typical for Pd-rich ores of the Oktyabrsky Deposit, while mayakite PdNiAs (another palladium and nickel arsenide) is relatively widely developed in ores of the Talnakh Deposit (Mayak mine and partly Komsomolsky mine) and the Norilsk-I. Perhaps, such a distribution of palladium-nickel arsenides is an element of mineral zonality of the Norilsk ore field.

Vymazalováite, Pd3Bi2S2, a new mineral from the Noril'sk-Talnakh deposit, Krasnoyarskiy region, Russia

ABSTRACTVymazalováite, Pd3Bi2S2 is a new platinum-group mineral discovered in the Komsomolsky mine of the Talnakh deposit, Noril'sk district, Russia. It forms small (from a few μm to 20–35 µm) inclusions or euhedral grains in intergrowths of polarite, sobolevskite, acanthite and unnamed (Pd,Ag)5BiS2 in aggregates (up to ~200 µm) in galena and rarely in chalcopyrite. It occurs with telargpalite, cooperite, braggite, vysotskite, sopcheite, stibiopalladinite, sobolevskite, moncheite, kotulskite, malyshevite, insizwaite, Au-bearing silver and the newly described mineral kravtsovite (PdAg2S) in association with pyrite, chalcopyrite and galena in vein-disseminated mineralization in skarn rocks. Synthetic vymazalováite is brittle; it has a metallic lustre and a grey streak. In plane-polarized reflected light, vymazalováite is creamy grey and appears slightly brownish against galena in the assemblage with chalcopyrite. It exhibits no internal reflections. Average reflectance values in air for natural and synthetic vymazalováite are (R natural, R synthetic in %) are: 46.35, 45.7 at 470 nm, 47.65, 47.45 at 546 nm, 48.5, 48.2 at 589 nm and 49.5, 49.0 at 650 nm. Seven electron probe micro-analyses of vymazalováite give an average composition: Pd 40.42, Bi 49.15, Ag 0.55, Pb 1.02, S 7.77 and Se 0.26, total 99.17 wt.%, corresponding to the empirical formula Pd3.05(Bi1.89Ag0.04Pb0.04)Σ1.97(S1.95Se0.03)Σ1.98 based on a total of 7 atoms per formula unit. The simplified formula is Pd3Bi2S2. The mineral is cubic, space group I213, with a = 8.3097(9) Å, V = 573.79(1) Å3 and Z = 4. The density calculated on the basis of the empirical formula and cell dimensions of synthetic vymazalováite is 9.25 g/cm3. The strongest lines in the powder X-ray diffraction pattern of synthetic vymazalováite [d in Å (I) (hkl)] are: 4.15(32)(200), 2.93(78)(220), 2.40(100)(220), 2.08(53)(400), 1.695(34)(422), 1.468(35)(440) and 1.252(31)(622). The structural identity of natural vymazalováite with synthetic Pd3Bi2S2 was confirmed by electron back-scatter diffraction measurements on the natural sample. This new mineral honours Dr Anna Vymazalová of the Czech Geological Survey, Prague.

Norilskite, (Pd,Ag)7Pb4, a new mineral from Noril'sk-Talnakh deposit, Russia

Norilskite, (Pd,Ag)7Pb4 is a new platinum-group mineral discovered in the Mayak mine of the Talnakh deposit, Russia. It forms anhedral grains in aggregates (up to ∼400 μm) with polarite, zvyagintsevite, Pd-rich tetra-auricupride, Pd-Pt bearing auricupride,Ag-Au alloys, (Pb,As,Sb) bearing atokite, mayakite, Bi-Pb-rich kotulskite and sperrylite in pentlandite, cubanite and talnakhite. Norilskite is brittle, has a metallic lustre and a grey streak. Values of VHN20 fall between 296 and 342 kg mm–2, with a mean valueof 310 kg mm–2, corresponding to a Mohs hardness of ∼4. In plane-polarized light, norilskite is orange-brownish pink, has moderate to strong bireflectance, orange-pink to greyish-pink pleochroism, and strong anisotropy; it exhibits no internal reflections. Reflectancevalues of norilskite in air (Ro, Re' in %) are: 51.1, 48.8 at 470 nm, 56.8, 52.2 at 546 nm, 59.9, 53.5 at 589 nm and 64.7, 55.5 at 650 nm. Sixteen electronmicroprobe analyses of natural norilskite gave an average composition: Pd 44.33, Ag 2.68, Bi 0.33 and Pb 52.34, total99.68 wt.%, corresponding to the empirical formula (Pd6.56Ag0.39)∑6.95(Pb3.97Bi0.03)∑4.00 based on 4 Pb + Bi atoms; the average of eight analyses on synthetic norilskite is: Pd 42.95, Ag 3.87 and Pb 53.51, total 100.33wt.%, corresponding to (Pd6.25Ag0.56)∑6.81Pb4.00. The mineral is trigonal, space group P3121, with a = 8.9656(4), c = 17.2801(8) Å, V = 1202.92(9) Å3 and Z = 6. The crystalstructure was solved and refined from the powder X-ray diffraction data of synthetic (Pd,Ag)7Pb4. Norilskite crystallizes in the Ni13Ga3Ge6 structure type, related to nickeline. The strongest lines in the powder X-ray diffraction patternof synthetic norilskite [d in Å (I) (hkl)] are: 3.2201(29)(023,203), 2.3130(91)(026,206), 2.2414(100)(220), 1.6098(28)(046,406), 1.3076(38)(246,462), 1.2942(18)(600), 1.2115(37)(22.12,12.13), 0.9626(44) (06.12,60.12). The mineral is named for the locality, the Noril'sk district in Russia.