Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
3.9
2.5
Journals
Minerals
Special Issues
Sphalerite Composition and Formation Conditions in Epithermal Deposits
share announcement

Sphalerite Composition and Formation Conditions in Epithermal Deposits

A special issue of Minerals (ISSN 2075-163X). This special issue belongs to the section "Mineral Deposits".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2021) | Viewed by 13166

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Gheorghe Damian

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
North University Centre of Baia Mare, Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, Baia Mare, Romania
Interests: mineralogy of ore deposits; hydrothermal deposits; metallogeny; geochemistry
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Andrei Buzatu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Geology, Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University of Iași, 700505 Iași, Romania
Interests: mineralogy; ore deposits; geochemistry; Raman and infrared spectroscopy; igneous petrology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Andrei Ionuț Apopei

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Geology, Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University of Iași, 700505 Iași, Romania
Interests: mineralogy; Raman and infrared spectroscopy; ore deposits; geoinformatics; crystallography; geochemistry
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Sphalerite is the most specific mineral in hydrothermal deposits. Usually, iron is a substituent of zinc in the crystalline structure of this mineral. The iron content of sphalerite influences several physical properties, such as microhardness, because it influences the reticular parameter “a” of its cubic crystal system. Increasing the lattice parameter with the increasing iron content of sphalerite is somewhat paradoxical, iron having a smaller atomic radius than zinc. However, it can be explained by the longer Fe–S bond, compared to that of Zn–S. The iron content in sphalerite greatly depends on the formation conditions in the hydrothermal deposit (temperature, pressure, FeS activity). Micro-thermometric investigation of this mineral’s fluid inclusions was also used to determine formation temperatures. Sphalerite’s iron content also influences the adsorption processes at the natural mineral–flotation liquid interface during ore processing and metallurgy. Further, sphalerite deposited in the waste-dumps oxidizes and leaches, in the presence of oxygen, contributing to mining area soil and water pollution.

This Special Issue will focus on the latest achievements in geochemistry and crystal structure of sphalerite that will reveal new insights into hydrothermal conditions, mineral deposition, ore processing, and AMD pollution. Additionally, applications of different investigation techniques, such as Raman spectroscopy, are welcome as well.

Prof. Dr. Gheorghe Damian
Dr. Andrei Buzatu
Dr. Andrei Ionuț Apopei
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Minerals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Sphalerite composition
  • Geochemistry
  • Environmental mineralogy
  • Mineral deposits
  • Raman spectroscopy
  • fS2—Sulfur fugacity
  • Absorption mineral–liquid

Published Papers (5 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

16 pages, 3953 KiB  
Article
The Effect of Mn Substitution on Natural Sphalerites by Means of Raman Spectroscopy: A Case Study of the Săcărâmb Au–Ag–Te Ore Deposit, Apuseni Mountains, Romania
by George Dincă, Andrei Ionuț Apopei, Robert Szabo and Andreea Elena Maftei
Minerals 2022, 12(7), 885; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/min12070885 - 14 Jul 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1963
Abstract
Natural samples of sphalerites containing Mn in the range 0 ≤ x ≤ 0.25 apfu from the Săcărâmb Au–Ag–Te ore deposit, found in the Apuseni Mountains, Romania, were investigated using Raman spectroscopy to determine its capability to provide estimates of Mn content. Raman [...] Read more.
Natural samples of sphalerites containing Mn in the range 0 ≤ x ≤ 0.25 apfu from the Săcărâmb Au–Ag–Te ore deposit, found in the Apuseni Mountains, Romania, were investigated using Raman spectroscopy to determine its capability to provide estimates of Mn content. Raman data for the natural Mn-rich sphalerite have not been published so far, with the largest concentration of Mn in sphalerites being from Romanian territory (i.e., 14.1 wt.%). The results are in good agreement with SEM-EDS data. In this study, three genetic types of sphalerites were identified: from ferroan Zn0.87Fe0.16∑=1.03S0.97 to manganoferroan Zn0.77Mn0.14Fe0.06∑=0.97S1.03, as well as mangan-rich Zn0.8Mn0.25∑=1.05S0.95 compositions. Sphalerites with a high content of Mn (up to 14.1 wt.%) were strongly connected to the presence of alabandite in the mineralized assemblages. The formation of several types of sphalerites in the Săcărâmb Au–Ag–Te ore deposit was caused by the succession of different types of hydrothermal fluids and the interaction between the fluids and the host materials (host rocks and earlier mineralized stages). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sphalerite Composition and Formation Conditions in Epithermal Deposits)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

27 pages, 16702 KiB  
Article
Sulfide and Fluoride Mineralization of the NNE Region of Achemmach (Central Morocco): Paragenetic Sequences and Pyrrhotite-Sphalerite Geothermometry Constraints
by Hafid Mezougane, Mohamed Aissa, Souiri Muhammad, Azizi Moussaid, Abdelaziz El Basbas, Mourad Essalhi, Abdel-ali Kharis, Mohammed El Azmi, Ahmed Touil and Essaid Bilal
Minerals 2022, 12(7), 790; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/min12070790 - 21 Jun 2022
Viewed by 1663
Abstract
Sulfide and fluoride mineralization in the NNE Achemmach (NNE-A) area is located in the NE of Central Hercynian Morocco. In veins or when disseminated, it is hosted either in Visean sedimentary formations or in the magmatic bodies, described for the first time in [...] Read more.
Sulfide and fluoride mineralization in the NNE Achemmach (NNE-A) area is located in the NE of Central Hercynian Morocco. In veins or when disseminated, it is hosted either in Visean sedimentary formations or in the magmatic bodies, described for the first time in this article and corresponding to pillow-lavas, dolerites and olivine-bearing gabbros. The mineralization is multiphase and results from the succession of the following three events: (i) an early high-temperature hydrothermal event (T ≈ 350–420 °C) associated with a simple primary sulfide paragenesis composed of pyrrhotite, pyrite, chalcopyrite, sphalerite and galena with gangue of quartz.(ii) The second event corresponds witha low temperature fluorite hydrothermal one (T≈ 120–160 °C), whereas the (iii) third is marked by, the deposition of a late sulfide paragenesis in a carbonate gangue within a moderate temperature (T≈ 200–250 °C). The temperatures of the paragenetic stages (350–400 °C) are estimated on the basis of the geothermometry constraints of the mineralogical assemblages, particularly the pyrrhotite-sphalerite equilibrium, in which the FeO content varies from 9.23 to 14.42 Wt%, and in the full study of their corresponding fluid phases. They are in perfect agreement with the fluid inclusion data of the first event. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sphalerite Composition and Formation Conditions in Epithermal Deposits)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

23 pages, 7786 KiB  
Article
Hydrothermal Sphalerites from Ore Deposits of Baia Mare Area
by Gheorghe Damian, Andrei Buzatu, Andrei Ionuţ Apopei, Floarea Damian and Andreea Elena Maftei
Minerals 2021, 11(12), 1323; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/min11121323 - 26 Nov 2021
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2563
Abstract
Sphalerite is an abundant mineral in the hydrothermal deposits from the Baia Mare and Oaș areas (northwestern Romania). Sphalerite samples were analyzed with an electron probe microanalyzer and Raman spectroscopy. The obtained results indicated different amounts of Fe in the various deposits from [...] Read more.
Sphalerite is an abundant mineral in the hydrothermal deposits from the Baia Mare and Oaș areas (northwestern Romania). Sphalerite samples were analyzed with an electron probe microanalyzer and Raman spectroscopy. The obtained results indicated different amounts of Fe in the various deposits from the Baia Mare and Oaș areas. The sphalerites from Baia Sprie, Cavnic, Iba, Turț Penigher, and Breiner have a low Fe wt.% content. High Fe wt.% contents are at Herja and partly at Ghezuri and Nistru (copper stage) where sphalerite is associated with pyrrhotite. The correlation between iron and zinc from sphalerites is strongly negative. The negative correlation shows that iron is the main element that replaces zinc in the sphalerite structure. The manganese content of sphalerites in the Baia Mare and Oaș area is up to 0.84 wt.%. The cadmium content is quite uniform in the Baia Mare and Oaș area with contents ranging from 0.01 to 0.72 wt.%. The Fe content of sphalerites is an important indicator of the physico-chemical conditions of deposit formation because it is a function of temperature, pressure, and sulfur fugacity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sphalerite Composition and Formation Conditions in Epithermal Deposits)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

47 pages, 30151 KiB  
Article
Ge-Hg-Rich Sphalerite and Pb, Sb, As, Hg, and Ag Sulfide Assemblages in Mud Volcanoes of Sakhalin Island, Russia: An Insight into Possible Origin
by Ella V. Sokol, Svetlana N. Kokh, Anna V. Nekipelova, Adam Abersteiner, Yurii V. Seryotkin, Valeriy V. Ershov, Olga A. Nikitenko and Anna S. Deviatiiarova
Minerals 2021, 11(11), 1186; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/min11111186 - 26 Oct 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2622
Abstract
We characterize the mineralogy and geochemistry of Fe, Zn, Pb, Sb, As, Hg, Ag sulfide assemblages from mud masses currently extruded by the onshore South Sakhalin and Pugachev mud volcanoes (Sakhalin Island, Russia). Abundant Tl-rich pyrite in sulfide concentrate samples from the mud [...] Read more.
We characterize the mineralogy and geochemistry of Fe, Zn, Pb, Sb, As, Hg, Ag sulfide assemblages from mud masses currently extruded by the onshore South Sakhalin and Pugachev mud volcanoes (Sakhalin Island, Russia). Abundant Tl-rich pyrite in sulfide concentrate samples from the mud volcanoes coexists with common Hg- and Ge-rich sphalerite, as well as with sporadic boulangerite, robinsonite, bournonite, galena, realgar, metacinnabar, cinnabar, acanthite, and chalcopyrite. Sphalerites are remarkably enriched in Hg (locally reaching 27 wt%) and coupled zwith permanent abnormal enrichment in Ge (3008–3408 ppm). According to single-crystal XRD analyses and Raman spectroscopy, both Hg-poor and Hg-rich sphalerites are single-phase (Zn,Hg)Scub compounds. Pyrite is of diagenetic origin, judging by its trace-element chemistry, particular morphology, and heavy S isotope composition. Another assemblage, composed of Pb-Sb-(Hg) sulfide minerals and lesser As, Cu, Ag, and Bi compounds, results from hydrothermal alteration and is genetically related to Neogene volcano-sedimentary rocks found among the ejecta of the mud volcanoes. The composition of impurities in sphalerite from mud masses indicates crystallization at temperatures lower than ~100 °C, under the leaching effect of mud volcano waters. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sphalerite Composition and Formation Conditions in Epithermal Deposits)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

15 pages, 5472 KiB  
Article
Sphalerite Composition in Low- and Intermediate-Sulfidation Epithermal Ore Bodies from the Roșia Montană Au-Ag Ore Deposit, Apuseni Mountains, Romania
by Călin Gabriel Tămaș, Mădălina Paula Andrii, Réka Kovács, Sergiu Drăgușanu and Béatrice Cauuet
Minerals 2021, 11(6), 634; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/min11060634 - 15 Jun 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3235
Abstract
We evaluated the significance of the iron and manganese content in sphalerite as a tool for distinguishing between low-sulfidation and intermediate-sulfidation epithermal deposits on the basis of new and previously published electron probe microanalyses data on the Roșia Montană epithermal ore deposit and [...] Read more.
We evaluated the significance of the iron and manganese content in sphalerite as a tool for distinguishing between low-sulfidation and intermediate-sulfidation epithermal deposits on the basis of new and previously published electron probe microanalyses data on the Roșia Montană epithermal ore deposit and available microchemical data from the Neogene epithermal ore deposits located in the Apuseni Mountains and Baia Mare region, Romania. Two compositional trends of the Fe vs. Mn content in sphalerite were delineated, a Fe-dominant and a Mn-dominant, which are poor in Mn and Fe, respectively. The overlapping compositional range of Fe and Mn in sphalerite in low-sulfidation and intermediate-sulfidation ores suggests that these microchemical parameters are not a reliable tool for distinguishing these epithermal mineralization styles. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sphalerite Composition and Formation Conditions in Epithermal Deposits)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-5
Back to TopTop