Geochemical Study of the Itabirite Iron Ores of the Alegria Mine - Quadrilátero Ferrífero, Minas Gerais, Brazil

The iron ores of Alegria mine are composed of itabirites enclosing minor bodies of high-grade ores. The itabirites are classified according to mineralogical composition in five types: martite-rich, goethite-rich, specularite-rich, magnetite-rich and anphibolite-rich ores. The hematites are martite-rich, magnetite-rich, specularite-rich and more rarely, amphibolite-rich. Other classification criteria of the ores are based on the physical properties and the degree of compaction. As such, the itabirites and hematites can be classified as hard, friable and soft types. The mineralogical/textural evolution of the ores is linked to the pressure and temperature conditions that accompanied the tectonic processes in anphibolite facies and the different degrees of subsequent surficial weathering processes. Petrographic and microstructural studies indicate that the magnetite and amphibole bearing itabirites represent the parent rocks that created the other itabirites and that the specularite itabirites and the hard martite types are related to silica dissolution and redeposition in zones of high and low strain. Most of itabirites ores correspond to chert oxide facies banded iron formation, except the goethite and amphibole bearing itabirite that resemble a silicate or oxide-silicate facies with minor carbonate impurities. The great mass and pods of soft martite itabirites are probably shaley oxide facies BIFs with little volcanic contribution. Trace element contents of the Alegria's itabirites show strong dissimilarities with BIFs associated with volcanism (Algoma type), but closely ressemble to the Lake Superior type, with high content in Cr, Co and low V, Ni, Cu and Zn. Although the absolute contents of REE present in the Alegria's itabirites are, in general very low, the pattern when normalised by NASC is similar to the great majority of the Archean and Paleoproterozoic BIFs elsewhere in the world, and characterised by positive Eu anomaly.

Magnetic properties of spindle-type iron fine particles obtained from hematite

Spindle-type iron fine particles have been prepared by reduction of silica-coated-hematite particles. Hydrogen reduction of the coated-hematite cores yielded uniform spindle-type iron particles, which were stabilized by surface oxidation. Narrow particle distributions are observed from TEM measurements. X-ray, Mössbauer and magnetization data are in agreement with the presence of nanosized α-Fe particles, having surface layer of spinel structure oxide. Mössbauer spectra show that the oxide surface is superparamagnetic at room temperature. © 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

As formações ferríferas bandadas de Piumhi: geologia, petrografia e caracterização tecnológica

Pós-graduação em Geologia Regional - IGCE

Texturas e propriedades reológicas dos minérios de ferro do quadrilátero ferrífero (MG) e sua utilização em beneficiamento

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Geologia do platô N6 - província mineral de Carajás (SP)

The N6 Plateau presents an iron-ore occurence in Carajás Mineral Province, standing near to actually operating deposits. Geological mapping in 1:10,000 scale and integration of geochemical, geophysical, petrography and drilling turns possible interpretation of his geological evolution. The mapped area has lithotypes from Archean Grão Pará Group, comprising very lowgrade metamorphic basic rocks and iron formation and an Proterozoic sedimentary association of conglomeratic sandstones called as Caninana Unity. The structural geology in given by a regional scale homoclinal, where the Grão Pará Group strata dips towards SW, as a part of the Northern Limb of the Carajás Fold. Subsequent deformation associated to the installation of the Carajás Shear Zone presents as E-W fold axis. Geochemical evidence permits to consider de Parauapebas Formation as the rocks which has been hydrothermally-altered to outsourcing fluids responsible to deposition of iron formations in the oceanic system, including different signatures which can be interpreted as possible sub-embayments in the Carajás Basin. The iron ore in the area occurs in subsurface as very fine friable hematite generated by supergenous enrichment of the iron formation. The conceived geologic model differs from the current academic proposal on the fact that hydrothermal alteration has been involved on the jaspelite enrichment. Metamorphism on the Parauapebas Formation presents paragenesis considered as ocean-floor metamorphism which precedes de deformation insofar as the rocks show no tectonic fabric referring to shallow crust evolution. Geophysical methods such as magnetometry and gravimetry presents excellent results for structural interpretation in uneven exposed terrain

Ferric iron uptake genes are differentially expressed in the presence of copper sulfides in Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans strain LR

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)