Copper ore type definition from Sossego Mine using X-ray diffraction and cluster analysis technique

This paper presents the classification of 110 copper ore samples from Sossego Mine, based on X-ray diffraction and cluster analysis. The comparison based on the position and the intensity of the diffracted peaks allowed the distinction of seven ore types, whose differences refer to the proportion of major minerals: quartz, feldspar, actinolite, iron oxides, mica and chlorite. There was a strong correlation between the grouping and the location of the samples in Sequeirinho and Sossego orebodies. This relationship is due to different types and intensities of hydrothermal alteration prevailing in each body, which reflect the mineralogical composition and thus the X-ray diffractograms of samples.

The Testing and Concentration of Lake Chelan Copper Ore

The geologic history of the Holden area and Lake Chelan district is an integral part of the history of the Cascade Mountain Range. The structure is very complex and the rocks, which have been subjected to intense metamorphic action, are portions of a roof pendant and consists of gneisses, schists and quartzites that are often difficult to correlate.

Technology and labor in copper ore mining, household appliances, and water transportation industries.

"May 1993."

Prospecting and mining of copper ore at Santa Rita, New Mexico,

First edition, September 1916. cf. verso of t.-p.

Simultaneous determination of four phases of copper in geological samples

According to the specific property of respective phases in copper ore, optimal extracting condition for, tour phases of copper with five infusion was examined. After a series of experiments, for example, different weight Of sample, artificial mixed single phases sample and repeated experiment, the extracting ratio constants foil all phases in different infusions were obtained. The mathematical model which is on the basis of the stable extracting constant is established. Based on the purpose-control genetic algorithms, we only need to determine the total copper in the sample in different infusions under the selected condition, then the value of respective phase could be calculated. The-relative standard deviation are (%) free oxidized copper phase:1.5, conjunction oxidized copper phase: 17.6,, secondary copper sulfide phase: 1.9, primary copper sulfide phase : 2.7,total copper: 0.8.

The Recovery of Copper in Sulphide Ores by Roasting, Leaching, and Electrolysis

Sulphide ores of copper are insoluble in dilute sulphuric acid leaching solutions, but a very high extraction can be obtained if the copper ore is in the oxidized condition. The problem is to convert the sulphide into the oxide form. This can be done by giving the sulphide ore an oxidizing-sulphatizing roast. Copper sulphate is soluble in water, so acid will be saved in the leaching process if copper sulphate is present. The iron in the copper sulphide ores is present as pyrite, or in combinations as bornite, or chalcopyrite.

Assessing the Environmental Hazard of Using Seawater for Ore Processing at the Lasail Mine Site in the Sultanate of Oman

The Lasail mining area (Sultanate of Oman) was contaminated by acid mine drainage during the exploitation and processing of local and imported copper ore and the subsequent deposition of sulphide-bearing waste material into an unsealed tailings dump. In this arid environment, the use of seawater in the initial stages of ore processing caused saline contamination of the fresh groundwater downstream of the tailings dump. After detection of the contamination in the 1980s, different source-controlled remediation activities were conducted including a seepage water collection system and, in 2005, surface sealing of the tailings dump using an HDPE-liner to prevent further infiltration of meteoric water. We have been assessing the benefits of the remediation actions undertaken so far. We present chemical and isotopic (δ18O, δ 2H, 3H) groundwater data from a long-term survey (8–16 years) of the Wadi Suq aquifer along a 28 km profile from the tailings dump to the Gulf of Oman. Over this period, most metal concentrations in the Wadi Suq groundwater decreased below detection limits. In addition, in the first boreholes downstream of the tailings pond, the salinity contamination has decreased by 30 % since 2005. This decrease appears to be related to the surface coverage of the tailings pond, which reduces flushing of the tailings by the sporadic, but commonly heavy, precipitation events. Despite generally low metal concentrations and the decreased salinity, groundwater quality still does not meet the WHO drinking water guidelines in more than 90 % of the Wadi Suq aquifer area. The observations show that under arid conditions, use of seawater for ore processing or any other industrial activity has the potential to contaminate aquifers for decades.

Flotation process response of Ok Tedi fluorine bearing minerals

Orebodies at Ok Tedi contain a number of different fluorine bearing minerals. Some of these minerals report to concentrate and are responsible for the presence of the penalty element, fluorine, within the concentrate. Previous analytical work has tended to examine geological samples for content, rather than determine the metallurgical behaviour of the different mineralogical species. This investigation utilised X-Ray Diffraction combined with Scanning Electron Microscope/Electron Microprobe to identify the fluorine bearing minerals in flotation test products. Seven fluorine bearing minerals were identified, viz., talc, phlogopite, amphibole (tremolite and actinolite), sphene, apatite, biotite and clay. Talc was found exclusively in the skarn ore type. Phlogopite and amphiboles (tremolite and actinolite) were found to occur in both skarn and porphyry ores, while sphene, apatite, biotite and clay were found only in the porphyry ores. Of the fluorine bearing minerals observed, only talc exhibited natural hydrophobicity to any significant degree. Phlogopite and the amphibole minerals were found to be hydrophillic, whilst the remaining minerals occurred in insufficient quantities to determine the flotation behaviour. Ok Tedi copper concentrate fluorine content prior to skarn ore treatment in the mill (typically 350ppm) was previously identified as deriving from phlogopite, while talc was believed to be the source of intermittent high concentrate fluorine contents when skarn ores were treated. This paper provides supporting evidence for this belief, and reports the nature of fluorine bearing mineral flotation behaviour.

Microscopia multimodal prática: registro automático de imagens de microscopia ótica e de microscopia eletrônica de varredura

A discriminação de fases que são praticamente indistinguíveis ao microscópio ótico de luz refletida ou ao microscópio eletrônico de varredura (MEV) é um dos problemas clássicos da microscopia de minérios. Com o objetivo de resolver este problema vem sendo recentemente empregada a técnica de microscopia colocalizada, que consiste na junção de duas modalidades de microscopia, microscopia ótica e microscopia eletrônica de varredura. O objetivo da técnica é fornecer uma imagem de microscopia multimodal, tornando possível a identificação, em amostras de minerais, de fases que não seriam distinguíveis com o uso de uma única modalidade, superando assim as limitações individuais dos dois sistemas. O método de registro até então disponível na literatura para a fusão das imagens de microscopia ótica e de microscopia eletrônica de varredura é um procedimento trabalhoso e extremamente dependente da interação do operador, uma vez que envolve a calibração do sistema com uma malha padrão a cada rotina de aquisição de imagens. Por esse motivo a técnica existente não é prática. Este trabalho propõe uma metodologia para automatizar o processo de registro de imagens de microscopia ótica e de microscopia eletrônica de varredura de maneira a aperfeiçoar e simplificar o uso da técnica de microscopia colocalizada. O método proposto pode ser subdividido em dois procedimentos: obtenção da transformação e registro das imagens com uso desta transformação. A obtenção da transformação envolve, primeiramente, o pré-processamento dos pares de forma a executar um registro grosseiro entre as imagens de cada par. Em seguida, são obtidos pontos homólogos, nas imagens óticas e de MEV. Para tal, foram utilizados dois métodos, o primeiro desenvolvido com base no algoritmo SIFT e o segundo definido a partir da varredura pelo máximo valor do coeficiente de correlação. Na etapa seguinte é calculada a transformação. Foram empregadas duas abordagens distintas: a média ponderada local (LWM) e os mínimos quadrados ponderados com polinômios ortogonais (MQPPO). O LWM recebe como entradas os chamados pseudo-homólogos, pontos que são forçadamente distribuídos de forma regular na imagem de referência, e que revelam, na imagem a ser registrada, os deslocamentos locais relativos entre as imagens. Tais pseudo-homólogos podem ser obtidos tanto pelo SIFT como pelo método do coeficiente de correlação. Por outro lado, o MQPPO recebe um conjunto de pontos com a distribuição natural. A análise dos registro de imagens obtidos empregou como métrica o valor da correlação entre as imagens obtidas. Observou-se que com o uso das variantes propostas SIFT-LWM e SIFT-Correlação foram obtidos resultados ligeiramente superiores aos do método com a malha padrão e LWM. Assim, a proposta, além de reduzir drasticamente a intervenção do operador, ainda possibilitou resultados mais precisos. Por outro lado, o método baseado na transformação fornecida pelos mínimos quadrados ponderados com polinômios ortogonais mostrou resultados inferiores aos produzidos pelo método que faz uso da malha padrão.

大兴安岭南段中生代火山-侵入杂岩带的双层叠置构造体制兼论滇中武定、易门碳酸质火山岩年代、来源及矿库与找矿研究

These are two parts included in this report. In the first part, the zonation of the complexes in its series, lithofacies, the depth of magma source and chambers is discussed in detailed for the first time based on the new data of petrol-chemistry, isotopes, tectono-magma activity of Mesozoic volcano-plutonic complexes in the southern Great Hinggan Mts. Then, the genetic model of the zonality, double overlapped layer system, is proposed. The main conclusions are presented as follows: The Mesozoic volcanic-plutonic complexes in the southern Great Hinggan were formed by four stages of magma activity on the base of the subduction system formed in late Paleozoic. The Mesozoic magmatic activity began in Meso-Jurassic Epoch, flourished in late Jurassic Epoch, and declined in early Cretaceous Epoch. The complexes consist dominantly of acidic rocks with substantial intermediate rocks and a few mefic ones include the series of calc alkaline, high potassium calc alkaline, shoshonite, and a few alkaline. Most of those rocks are characterized by high potassium. The volcano-plutonic complexes is characterized by zonality, and can be divided mainly into there zones. The west zone, located in northwestern side of gneiss zone in Great Xinggan mountains, are dominated of high potassium basalts and basaltic andesite. The middle zone lies on the southeast side of the Proterozoic gneiss zone, and its southeast margin is along Huangganliang, Wushijiazi, and Baitazi. It composed of dominatly calc-alkaline, high potassium calc-alkaline rocks, deep granite and extrusive rhyolite. The east zone, occurring along Kesheketong Qi-Balinyou Qi-Balinzuo Qi, is dominated of shoshonite. In generally, southeastward from the Proterozoic gneiss zone, the Mesozoic plutons show the zones-mica granitites zone, hornblende-mica granitite zone, mica-hornblende granitite zone; the volcanic rocks also display the zones of calc alkaline-high potassium calc alkaline and shoshonites. In the same space, the late Paleozoic plutons also display the same zonality, which zones are combined of binary granite, granodiorite, quartz diorite and diorite southeast wards from the gneiss. Meso-Jurassic Epoch granite plutons almost distribute in the middle zone on the whole. Whereas late Jurassic Epoch volcanic rocks distribute in the west and east zone. This distribution of the volcano-plutonic complexes reveals that the middle zone was uplifted more intensively then the other zones in Meso-Jurassic and late Jurassic Epoches. Whole rock Rb-Sr isochron ages of the high potassium calc-alkaline volcanic rocks in the west zone, the calc-alkaline and high potassium calc-alkaline granite the middle zone, shoshonite in the east zone are 136Ma, 175Ma and 154Ma, respectively. The alkaline rocks close to the shoshonite zone is 143Ma and 126Ma. The isochron ages are comparable well with the K-Ar ages of the rocks obtained previously by other researchers. The compositions of Sr ans Nd isotopes suggest that the source of Mesozoic volcanic-plutonic complexes in Great Hinggan Mts. is mostly Paleo-Asia oceanic volcanic-sedimentary rocks, which probably was mixed by antiquated gneiss. The tectonic setting for Mesozoic magmatism was subductive continental margin. But this it was not directly formed by present west Pacific subduction. It actully was the re-working of the Paleozoic subduction system( which was formed during the Paleo-Asia ocean shortening) controlled by west Pacific subduction. For this reason, Although Great Hinggan Mts. is far away from west Pacific subduction zone, its volcanic arc still occurred echoing to the volcanic activities of east China, it, but the variation trend of potassium content in volcano-plutonic complexes of Great Hinggan is just reverse to ones of west Pacific. The primitive magmas occurred in the southern Great Hinggan Mts. Include high-potassium calc-alkaline basalt, high potassium calc-alkaline rhyolite, high potassium rhyolite, non-Eu negative anomaly trachy-rhyolite et al. Therefore, all of primitive magmas are either mafic or acid, and most of intermediate rocks occurring in the area are the products of Mesozoic acid magma contaminated by the Paleozoic volcanic- sedimentary rocks. The depth of those primitive magma sources and chambers gradually increase from northwest to southeast. This suggests that Paleozoic subduction still controlled the Mesozoic magmatism. In summary, the lithosphere tectonic system of the southern Great Hinggan Mts. controlling Mesozoic magmatism is a double overlapped layer system developing from Paleozoic subduction system. For this reason, the depth of crust of the southern Great Hinggan Mts. is thicker than that of its two sides, and consequently it causes regional negative gravity abnormity. The second part of this report shows the prolongation of the research work carried on in my doctor's period. Author presents new data about Rb-Sr and Sm-Nd isotopic compositions and ages, geochamical features, genesis mineralogy and ore deposit geology of the volcanic rocks in Kunyang rift. On the base of the substantial work, author presents a prospect of copper bearing magnetite ore deposit. The most important conclusions are as follows: 1. It is proved that all of these carbonatites controlled by a ringing structure system in Wuding-Lufeng basin in the central Yunnan were formed in the Mesoproterozoic period. Two stages could be identified as follows: in the first stage, carbonatitic volcanic rocks, such as lavas(Sm-Nd, 1685Ma), basaltic porphyrite dykes(Sm-Nd, 1645Ma), pyroclastic rocks and volcaniclastic sedimentary rocks, formed in the outer ring; in the second stage, carbonatitic breccias and dykes(Rb-Sr, 1048 Ma) did in the middle ring. The metamorphic age of the carbonatitic lavas (Rb-Sr, 893 Ma) in the outer ring was determined. The magma of carbonatitic volcanic rocks derived mainly form enriched mantle whose basement is depleted mantle that had been metasomated by mantle fluid and contaminated by Archaean lower crust. Carbonatitic spheres were discovered in ore bearing layers in Lishi copper mining in Yimen recently, which formed in calcite carbonatitic magma extrusion. This discovery indicates that the formation of copper ore deposit genesis relates to carbonatitic volcanic activity. The iron and copper ore deposits occurring in carbonatitic volcanic- sedimentary rocks in Kunyang rift results from carbonatitic magmatism. Author calls this kind of ore deposits as subaqueous carbonatitic iron-copper deposit. The magnetic anomaly area in the north of Lishi copper mining in Yimen was a depression more lower than its circumference. Iron and copper ores occurrig on the margin of the magnetic anomaly are volcanic hydrothermal deposit. The magnetic body causing the magnetic anomaly must be magnetite ore. Because the anomaly area is wide, it can be sure that there is a large insidious ore deposit embedding there.

陕西铜厂铜矿(带)矿床地质和成因类型探讨

陕南勉略宁三角地区是我国西北重要的铜金多金属成矿远景区，已发现多种类型的铜、铁、铅、锌、金和银等多金属矿床（点）多达上百处，除金矿床为大-超大型外（煎茶岭和李家沟金矿床），该区铜金多金属矿床多与中酸性侵入体有关，但规模均不大（中-小型），其中铜厂铜矿床在该区最具找矿前景和代表性，规模也仅为中型，远景储量为大型，可谓是铜金多金属矿床（点）星罗棋布，仅是“只见星星，不见月亮”。多年来，勉略宁地区曾作过大量的基础地质和找矿地质工作，并取得了一定的找矿成果，但九十年代以来，本区的找矿难度越来越大，难以取得突破，寻找大型-超大型铜金多金属矿床一直是地质研究工作的难题。本文选择勉略宁地区最具代表性和找矿前景的铜厂铜金多金属矿床为解剖对象，通过流体地球化学和岩石及硫化物单矿物地球化学等研究，结合矿床的地质特征、地球化学、同位素年代学等详细综合与对比，在前人基础上，取得如下认识： （1） 研究区在震旦纪以后，由于扬子板块的碰撞，隆起形成大陆，根据矿床赋矿围岩的岩石地球化学和矿床地球化学研究，提出陕西铜厂铜矿床的成矿大地构造背景可能为碰撞造山。 （2） 铜厂铜矿床的微量元素对比研究发现，Cu等成矿物质的析出→迁移→富集是形成铜矿化和铜矿体的重要方式之一，稀土元素地球化学表明，矿区中矿石矿物的稀土元素组成特征与铜厂闪长岩、钠长岩和细碧岩既有相似之处，也有不同之处，稀土配分模式的对比说明闪长岩与地层（细碧岩）为成矿作用提供了主要的物质来源； （3） 矿体严格受NWW向与NEE 向两组韧性剪切带控制，主要赋存于闪长岩体北部内外接触带以及岩体内片理化带中； （4） 铜厂铜矿床的成矿流体总体以低温、低盐度为特征，并可能存在富CO2流体，其成矿流体与造山型金矿床成矿流体具有一定相似性； （5） 结合成矿背景和陈矿年代学数据，矿床主成矿时代可能在200-230Ma之间，属于印支期，该期为勉略洋盆闭合的俯冲-碰撞造山作用形成秦岭以挤压作用为特征的造山带时期。 因此，笔者认为，该矿床的成矿大地构造背景应为碰撞造山带，其成矿物质来源以闪长岩和细碧岩为主，成矿流体以低温、低盐度和富CO2为特征，成矿时代以印支期为主，其成矿模式为：印支期，伴随着勉略洋盆闭合俯冲-碰撞形成勉略宁地区复式倒转褶皱及韧-脆性逆冲推覆构造、走滑断层，在矿区发育大量NWW向与NEE 向两组韧性走滑断裂，该期间由于闪长岩体的继续活动，带来了气液和热动力及部分Cu等成矿物质，形成火山变质热液，并与天水混合形成富碱（Na+、K+）和CO2的混合热液，在这种混合热液作用下，使地层细碧岩中Cu等成矿物质大量析出，形成低温、低盐度成矿热液，沿矿区所发育NWW向与NEE 向两组韧性走滑断裂充填沉淀并形成铜矿体。

东川稀矿山式铜矿地球化学研究

稀矿山式铜矿是指赋存在昆阳群因民组地层中的铜铁矿床，其大地构造背景属于元古代裂谷带，大陆裂谷是超大型铜等多金属矿形成和分布的有利环境，在裂谷下部常发育异常地慢和岩浆源，裂谷空间上的多层次性使矿床具有明显垂向分带特征，其演化时间的长期性、脉动性和继承性便于多期成矿作用相互叠加、矿质的高度聚集。稀矿山式铜矿以落雪矿区稀矿山矿段最为典型，主要分布在因民落雪大乔地一稀矿山、滥山、磨子山，滥泥坪6-4巷、白锡腊和拖布卡地区。该类矿床广布于康滇地轴南段东川、武定一罗茨、元江、易门狮子山、金沙江南岸的花生坪、红门厂等地，已知中型铜矿床1处（稀矿山）、中型铁矿床2处（鹅头厂、笔架山）、小型铜（铁）矿床多处，上世纪90年代易门狮子山该类矿床的发现，表明该类矿床在东川-易门具找矿潜在远景。本文通过对东川矿区稀矿山式铜矿的常量元素、微量元素、包裹体、同位素及同位素定年等地球化学研究，获得以下认识：1．东川矿区地层（包括其下覆基底）和晋宁期碱基性岩中Cu等成矿元素背景值较高，且在蚀变过程中均能析出Cu等成矿元素。矿床中Cu等成矿物质来源复杂，以深源为主，部分来源于地层（因民组紫色层和落雪组白云岩）及基底地层：矿区内的退色蚀变作用可能是混合流体碱质交代改造作用的结果，对铜矿形成影响明显，是铜矿化的标志；2．该类矿床成矿流体属于中高温、中高盐度、高密度Na，（K＋）Ca2+-SO42-（Cl-）型，以深部岩浆水为主，混有大量海水和变质水。矿床中发现了富NZ包裹体，可能是矿床形成时，深大断裂活动、碱基性岩浆带来地球深部（上地慢和下地壳）物质并形成的成矿流体，在氧化一去挥发分作用过程中所形成；3．铁矿体被铜矿体包围，铁矿石被铜矿细脉穿插，说明铜矿化的形成晚于铁矿化。黄铜矿单矿物的Re-05同位素年龄研究表明其成矿年龄为826士230Ma，接近矿区碱基性岩年龄，与昆阳裂谷内其它类型铜矿成矿时代相当，均属于晋宁-澄江期；4．东川矿区晋宁一澄江期碱基性岩侵入活动明显，常作为因民组复杂角砾岩胶结物和岩脉（体）产出，多分布于深大断裂及其派生的次级构造附近，明显受南北向小江深大断裂走滑运动引起的右行旋扭及其派生构造控制，与“落因破碎带”和“铜矿分布”较吻合，均为“Z”字形。表明东川矿区铜矿形成与深大断裂及其派生次级构造和，宁-澄江期碱基性岩侵入活动关系密切；5．昆阳裂谷内的多数铜矿同位素成矿年龄多集中在9.0亿-6.5亿年之间，属于晋宁－澄江期，与Redina大陆裂解时限相当。表明裂谷内铜矿床的形成可能与Rodinia大陆裂解有关。因此，总结东川稀矿山式铜矿成矿模式为沉积（Fe、Cu）-热液叠加（Cu）改造：晋宁-澄江期，小江深大断裂发生走滑运动，在东川矿区造成右行旋扭及其派生构造，形成“Z”，字形落因破碎带，同时来自深源（下地壳或上地慢）碱基性岩浆侵入，不仅带来了大量Cu等成矿物质，更重要的是提供了热源，促使地层水（落雪组白云岩和因民组紫色层）循环，与富碱（Na和K）岩浆水混合，形成富碱中高温高盐度流体。因民组紫色层与其底部角砾岩接触带，具有较高的空隙度和渗透率，有利于成矿流体的运移和成矿。在这种混合流体作用下，地层中Cu等成矿物质析出，叠加改造了初始铜矿化最终形成稀矿山式铜矿。

Análisis prospectivo del mineral de cobre en el mundo, Latinoamérica y Colombia

Se presenta un análisis prospectivo del comportamiento de la oferta y la demanda del Mineral de Cobre en el Mundo, en Latinoamerica y en Colombia, creando diferentes escenarios con futuros posibles, consientes y detallados que servirán para entender la dinámica de mercado y la creación de estrategias de penetración, disminución de costos y aumento de productividad en compañías que operan tanto en países donde la industria del cobre se encuentra muy desarrollada, como en aquellos donde la explotación del mineral es todavía muy incipiente (Colombia).