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The Distribution, Character, and Rhenium Content of Molybdenite in the Aitik Cu-Au-Ag-(Mo) Deposit and Its Southern Extension in the Northern Norrbotten Ore District, Northern Sweden

Wanhainen, C.; Nigatu, W.; Selby, D.; McLeod, C.; Nordin, R.; Bolin, N-J.

The Distribution, Character, and Rhenium Content of Molybdenite in the Aitik Cu-Au-Ag-(Mo) Deposit and Its Southern Extension in the Northern Norrbotten Ore District, Northern Sweden Thumbnail


Authors

C. Wanhainen

W. Nigatu

C. McLeod

R. Nordin

N-J. Bolin



Abstract

Molybdenite in the Aitik deposit and its southern extension was studied through mineralogical/chemical analysis and laboratory flotation tests. It is demonstrated that molybdenite varies considerably in grain size, ranging from coarse (>20 μm) to very fine (<2 μm) and occurs predominantly as single grains in the groundmass of the rocks, as grain aggregates, and intergrown with chalcopyrite and pyrite. The dominating molybdenite-bearing rocks are the mica schists, the quartz-monzodiorite, and the Salmijärvi biotite-amphibole gneiss, the latter containing mostly medium-coarsegrained molybdenite. Later geological features, such as garnet-magnetite-anhydrite-K feldspar alteration and pegmatite dikes appear to be responsible for a significant part of the distribution pattern of molybdenite. Molybdenite grains contain up to 1587 ppm Re, with an average of 211 ± 10 ppm in Aitik molybdenite and 452 ± 33 ppm in Salmijärvi molybdenite. The higher Re concentrations are found in molybdenite associated with sericite- and quartz-amphibole-magnetite altered rocks, whereas low Re values occur in rocks in which potassic alteration is prominent. Molybdenite recovery is influenced by the mineralogy of the host rock and the alteration grade; hence both of these factors will have an impact on potential recoveries. The recovery of molybdenite was lower from flotation feeds with significant amounts of Mg-bearing clay-micas.

Citation

Wanhainen, C., Nigatu, W., Selby, D., McLeod, C., Nordin, R., & Bolin, N. (2014). The Distribution, Character, and Rhenium Content of Molybdenite in the Aitik Cu-Au-Ag-(Mo) Deposit and Its Southern Extension in the Northern Norrbotten Ore District, Northern Sweden. Minerals, 4(4), 788-814. https://doi.org/10.3390/min4040788

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Nov 24, 2014
Online Publication Date Dec 1, 2014
Publication Date Dec 1, 2014
Deposit Date Jan 7, 2015
Publicly Available Date Mar 29, 2024
Journal Minerals
Publisher MDPI
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 4
Issue 4
Pages 788-814
DOI https://doi.org/10.3390/min4040788
Keywords Aitik deposit, Northern Sweden, Molybdenite, Rhenium, QEMSCAN, Dilution ICP-MS, Mineral processing, Ore characterization.

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