All about Platinum-Group Minerals: From Geochemistry and Trace Element Composition to Mineral Association and Textures

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2024) | Viewed by 936

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Application Competence Center, Malvern Panalytical B.V., Lelyweg 1 (7602 EA), P.O. Box 13, 7600 AA Almelo, The Netherlands
Interests: indicator minerals; mineral exploration; till geochemistry; applied mineralogy; applied geochemistry; minerals chemistry; multivariate statistical methods; micro-analytical techniques; LA-ICP-MS

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The platinum-group elements (Os, Ir, Ru, Rh, Pd and Pt) or PGEs are the most valuable elements in nature and are of strategic importance given their growing application in advanced technologies. The PGEs share similar physicochemical properties, which result in their co-formation and co-existence in nature. These metals rarely occur in the bulk Earth crust, whilst due to their highly siderophile characteristics, they are mainly concentrated in the dense metallic core. Platinum group minerals (PGMs) constitute a very diverse group of PGE-dominated alloys and complexes. About 99% of the global PGE resources are hosted within magmatic sulfide deposits due to their high partition coefficients for sulfides in sulfur-saturated magmatic systems. However, geochemical characteristics of these elements allow them to be involved in a great variety of geological processes. In contrast to the PGMs associated with magmatic systems, there is a poor understanding of the mineralogy and geochemistry of PGMs associated with hydrothermal activities and their alteration under low temperature conditions and in the surficial environment. Thus, this Special Issue welcomes all contributions that can develop our insight into trace element compositions and mineral associations of PGMs from various geologic settings.

Dr. Sheida Makvandi
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • platinum group elements
  • geochemistry
  • trace element composition
  • mineral association
  • mineral exploration techniques

Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

15 pages, 6874 KiB  
Article
Formation of Intergrowths of Platinum-Group Minerals and Gold from Magmatogenic Ores in Relation to Phase Changes in Pt-Pd-Fe-Cu-Au System
by Alexander Okrugin and Boris Gerasimov
Minerals 2024, 14(3), 326; https://doi.org/10.3390/min14030326 - 21 Mar 2024
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Abstract
The article discusses the features of the chemical composition and the formation of intergrowths of platinum-group minerals, gold, gold-bearing phases, and other ore minerals present in placers collected from the Anabar River in the northeast part of the Siberian platform. Based on an [...] Read more.
The article discusses the features of the chemical composition and the formation of intergrowths of platinum-group minerals, gold, gold-bearing phases, and other ore minerals present in placers collected from the Anabar River in the northeast part of the Siberian platform. Based on an analysis of changes in the phase compositions of these intergrowths of noble metals with other ore minerals on (Pt, Pd)-Fe-Au and Pd-Cu-Au phase equilibrium diagrams, potential trends in the crystallization of natural polymineral alloys from multicomponent low-sulfide metallic liquids are discussed. The similarity of the microstructures of natural and metallurgical alloys indicates that the formation of natural multiphase Au-PGE intergrowths occurred in a similar manner to the crystallization of multicomponent synthetic alloys. The authors suggest that magmatic Au-PGE mineralization occurs during the crystallization of a noble-metal-containing, low-sulfide, Cr-rich oxide melt separated from silicate mafic–ultramafic magma. Magmatic gold–platinum deposits are commonly associated with sulfide or oxide disseminated-schlieren ores in layered mafic–ultramafic intrusions. However, due to the high solubility of gold and platinoids in sulfide minerals, PGMs in sulfide ores occur as isomorphic impurities or as microphases and dispersed inclusions that cannot form placers. Therefore, the authors suggest that magmatic Au-PGE mineralization occurs during the crystallization of an immiscible low-sulfide, high-Cr oxide liquid separated from silicate mafic–ultramafic magma. In the northeast part of the Siberian platform, potential sources for these placers are likely alkaline, high-Ti mafic–ultramafic intrusions, as confirmed by the presence of silicate inclusions in ferroan platinum similar in composition to melteigite. Full article
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