MINERAL CHEMISTRY AND FORMATION OF AWARUITE AND HEAZLEWOODITE IN THE XEROLIVADO CHROME MINE, VOURINOS, GREECE


Published: Jul 28, 2016
Keywords:
Pentlandite olivine serpentine magnetite
E. Tzamos
A. Filippidis
K. Michailidis
A. Koroneos
A. Rassios
G. Grieco
M. Pedrotti
K. Stamoulis
Abstract

The Serpentinite between the chromite bodies 4 and 5 of Xerolivado mine (Vourinos, Greece), contains sparsely very small grains (<20μm) of awaruite (Fe0.91Cu0.06Co0.03Ni3), heazlewoodite (Ni2.91Fe0.06S2), magnetite and Co pentlandite (Ni3.79Fe2.98Co2.38S8). The olivine contains 0.40 wt% NiO and 6.91 wt% FeO, while the serpentine 0.18 wt% NiO and 3.02 wt% FeO. The Co-content of awaruite is 1.31 wt% and that of heazlewoodite 0.12 wt%. Heazlewoodite is a product of the primary Co-pentlandite reduction, resulting from the serpentinization of the ultramafic rock. The Ni content of awaruite is derived both from olivine and from Co-pentlandite. The reducing environment resulting from serpentinization and the low sulphur fugacity, favour the formation of awaruite, heazlewoodite and magnetite.

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