Magnetite and Hematite Intheiron Ores of the Kiruna Type and Some Other Iron Ore Types
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SERIE C NR 625 AVHANDLINGAR OCH UPPSATSER ARSBOK 6 1 NR 10 RUDYARD FRIETSCH THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MAGNETITE AND HEMATITE INTHEIRON ORES OF THE KIRUNA TYPE AND SOME OTHER IRON ORE TYPES STOCKHOLM 1967 SVERIGES GEOLOGISKA UNDERSOKNING SERIE C NR 625 ARSBOK 61 NR 10 RUDYARD FKIETSCH THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MAGNETITE AND HEMATITE IN THE IRON ORES OF THE KIRUNA TYPE AND SOME OTHER IRON ORE TYPES STOCKHOLM 1967 Manuscript received May 8th, 1967 Editor: Per H. Lundegårdh Stockholm 1967 Kungl. Boktryckeriet P. A. Norstedt & Söner CONTENTS Abstracc ................................. Introdiiction ................................ The relationship between magnetite and hernatite in kon ores of the Kiruna type ... Northern Sweden ............................ Central Sweden ............................ Chile .................................. Mexico ................................. United States ............................. The formation of'hematite in iron ores of the Kiruna type ............ Examples of the occurrence of hematite in connection with metasomalic processes ... The relationship between magnetite and hematite in ~henon-apatitic irvri ores of Central Sweden .................................. Conclusions ................................ Acknowledgements ............................. References ................................. 7 1.670383 . SGU. Frietsch ABSTRACT I11 the magmatic iron ores of thc Kiruna type the primary iron oxide is inostly magnetite. Hematite is rather common and except when clue to superficial weathering is a later metasomatic alteration of the magnetite. The alteration in the wall-rock (and to a less exteiit in the orc) has given rise to new minerals, e. g. quarte, muscovite, chlorite, calcite, clay minerals and small amounts of tourmaline, fluoritc, barite, allanite and zircoii. It is a later phase of the main ore- forming process. The tcmpcraturc at which the alteration took place is, on account of the niiner- al paragenesis in the altered wall-rock, believed to have been moderate tc. low. The niain Fuctor in the alteration of magnetite to hematite is the high oxygen Fugacity in the metasomatic process. The Kiruna type also includes some hydrotherinal, metasomatic hematite ores which represent a late, low-temperature stagc in thc magmalic differentiation that gave rise to the main inass of the mes of this type. In these the formation of the ore and the metasomatic alteration are contern- poraneous. Due to the low tcmperature and the high content of volatiles, i. e. the high oxygen fugacity, hematite and not magnetite was formed. Scme examples of the association of hematite with metasomatically formed sillimanite, musco- vite, barite and tourmaline in other, non-sedirnentary iron ores, are given. Further thc rclation- ship between magnetite and hematite in the sedimentary quartz-banded iron ores of Central Sweden is dedt with. Thc formation of'magnetite after hematite is here connected with regionat metamorphism but is due not only to an increase of temperature Ilut also to the rediicing condi- tions existing during the metamorphism. The common occurrence of hematite in the kon ores of the Kiruna type is facilitated by the absencc of reducing agents such as sulphides, graphite and ferrous silicates. Thus the oxidation of magnetite is not inhibitcd as in other types of iron ore where the conditions are reducing. When prospecting for iron ores of this type metasomatic alterations of the kind described above have to be souglit, since they are connected with the formalioii of hematite which might be the only iron oxidc present. Such an ore is best indicated hy gravimetric measurements. INTRODUCTION Thc iron oxidcs magnetite and hematite are interesting because of their ubi- quitous occurrence and economic importance. The relationship betwecn them is a complex problem which is not yet fully understood. Both occur as primary constituents in igneous and scdimentary rocks and are formed under varying geological conditions. The important factors determining whether magnetite or hematite will be formed in magmatic and metamorphic rocks are oxygen fugacity and temperature and in sedimentary rocks the oxidation potential and the hydrogen-ion concentration. The role of pressure is, in both cases, not known. The rnain scopc of this paper is to elucidate the relationship betwecn magnetite and hematite in the magmatic iron ores of ~heKiruna type. In many deposits of this kind hematite is encountered, and where the rdationship between magnetite and hematite can be established, magnetite is the primary mineral from which hematite has been for~nedby oxidation. The conversion of magnetite to hematite is often, except in those cases where it is due to superficial weathering, connected with a special paragenesis in the wall-rock and to somc extent in the hematite. indicating that the conversion was a metasomatic one. The role of water or water vapour, which possibly arises from the same source as the ore, is most likely of the greatest importance. 'Ideal magnetite contains 72.4 per cent iron and 27.6 per cent oxygen and ideal hematite 69.94 per cent iron and 30.06 per cent oxygen. The formation of hematite from magnetite takcs place according to the formula 2 Fe304+% 02= 3 Fe203, that is an increase of the oxygen content and the degree of oxidation. The opposite rcaction means a decrease of these two factors. The increase in volume during the conversion magnetitc to hematite is small - about 2.5 per cent. Knowledge of the stabi3lity of magnetite and hematite in non-sedimcntary piocesses is imperfect but these minerals are clearly formed at varying tempera- tures and pressures. Magnetite is however sometimes considered as the high temperature form. Besides temperature the other main factor for this pair of minerals is the oxygen fugacity existing c1urir.g their formation. The stability of magnetite-hematite is thus controlled by the presence of oxidizing or reducing agents. The oxidizing agent must in many cases be water or water vapour. It is a well known fact that water is of decisive importance for rhe degrec of oxidation (expressed by the ratio ferric-ferrous ironj in magmatic rock differentiation. Gold- schmidt j1943, 1954) pointed out that the degree of oxidation increases during a fractional crystallization, being lower in the older, more basic members than in the younger, more acid members. In his opinion the incrcase is connccted with thc successive increase of volatilcs in the resiclua~lmagma and in most cases it is water or water vapour that was rcsponsible for the change. In effusive rocks where atmospheric oxygen has also taken an active part, the dcgree of oxidation is higher 6 RUDYARD FRIETSCH than in rnagmatic rocks. 'The role of water in the evolution of a basic magma has been dealt with by Bowen (1947) cvhen discussing the Skaergaard intrusion. As shown by Wager & Deer (1939) the fractional differentiation of this magma resulted in a progressive cnrichment in iron so that the last phase is a ferrogabbro extremely rich in iron. Bowen supposed that this is due to a dry differentiation consequent upon the hin and porous character of the rooi of the magma chamber. Kennedy (1955) and Osborn (1959) have pointed out the important rolc water plays in the trend of the differentiation of a basic magma. The coursc of ~hedifferentiation is determined by the ratio oi the iron oxides which depends on the partial pressure of oxygen which is in turn a function of the available water. If the oxygen pressure is high the iron in the magma is oxidized and separated at an early stage of the differentiation. There will then be an enrich- ment of silica and alkalies i,n the residua1 solutions. Ii, on rhe contrary, the oxygen pressure is low the iron will remain in the magma wit'hout any appreciable change in the silica content during the differentiation. Laboratory work concerning the influence of oxidizing processes on the system magnetite-hematite is rather scanty. There are however several investigations on t~heoxidation of magnetite by heating the mineral in air (Gruner 1926, Grieg et al. 1935, Gh,eith 1952, Schmidt & Vermas 1955, Lepp 1957, Basta 1959 and Gokhale 1961), but these have little to do with natural conditions. Most of these investigations concern the stability conditions between magnetite - y-Fe,O,, (maghemite) - u-Fe2O3 jhematite) at rather high temperatures. She main purpose was in many cases to investigate if y-Fe20aexists as an intermediate phase between magnetite and hematite. One interesting conclusion is that the rate of oxidation of magnetite to hematite depends not only on temperature and oxygen pressure but also on the grain size. Thus smaller grains with a greater surface energy are more rapidly osidized than coarser grains (Gruner 1926, Schmidt & Vermas 1955 and Lepp 1957). W'ater at relatively 1ow temperatures can oxidize magnetite to hematite as has becn shown by Gruner (1930) from laboratory work. The oxidation by means of water or water vapour is found to occur at a temperature of about 260' C and probably also occurs below this temperature. The ability of water to oxidize magnetite to hernatite depends on the relative value of the partial oxygen pressure of coexisting water and the system magnetite- hematite. The partial oxygen pressures of the system magnetite-hematite at different .temperatures are given by Muan ( 1958), Holland ( 1959), Mueller (1961) and Verhoogen (1962). A comparison with the values of the partial oxygen pressures given by Eugster (1959) and Verhoogen for pure water at a total pressure of 1 atmosphere at different temperatures, shows that the oxygen pressure in equilibrium with water is higher than the oxygen pressure of the system magnetite-hematite up to a temperature of about 1100° C. Above this temperature the conditions are inverted. From this Verhoogen (ibid., THE RELATIONSIIIP BETM'EEN MAGNETITE AND I-IEMATITE 7 p. (73) concluded that "thus watcr at 1 atmospherc woulcl oxidixe magnetite at room tempcraturr, but not at 1200° C". The same author further pointed out that hematite is the stablc phase in presencc of air or water at ordinary tem- peratures and that magnctite persists in rocks only becausc thr rate of oxidation is very low.