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The effect of the Vaalkop replacement pegmatoid on the sulphide mineralogy at Western Platinum mine in the Mooinooi district

Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 1995.

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Other Authors: Merkle, R.K.W. (Roland Karl Willi), 1954-
Format: Thesis
Language:English
Published: University of Pretoria 2022
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author2 Merkle, R.K.W. (Roland Karl Willi), 1954-
author_browse Merkle, R.K.W. (Roland Karl Willi), 1954-
author_facet Merkle, R.K.W. (Roland Karl Willi), 1954-
collection Thesis
dc_rights_str_mv © 2021 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria.
description Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 1995.
format Thesis
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institution University of Pretoria (South Africa)
language English
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license_str Other — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository
publishDate 2022
publishDateRange 2022
publishDateSort 2022
publisher University of Pretoria
publisherStr University of Pretoria
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source_str UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository
spelling oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/83232 The effect of the Vaalkop replacement pegmatoid on the sulphide mineralogy at Western Platinum mine in the Mooinooi district Merkle, R.K.W. (Roland Karl Willi), 1954- Snyman, C.P. Grimbeek, Jacomina Carolina UCTD Vaalkop replacement pegmatoid sulphide minerology western platinum mine Mooinooi district Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 1995. Western Platinum mine is situated 30 km due east of Rustenburg in the Western Bushveld Complex. Replacement pegmatoid areas occur sporadically at the mine and range in diameter from a few metres to approximately 250 m. The effect of the replacement pegmatoid was investigated in six profiles through the chromitite. The replacement pegmatoid footwall consists predominantly of amphibole with minor pyroxene, talc, clay-minerals, serpentine, olivine, and magnetite. A characteristic feature of the alteration in the UG-2 chromitite by replacement pegmatoid is the sintering of the bottom 5-10 cm. The sintered area consists of magnetite and Fe-Ti-oxides. Footwalls of “unaltered" UG-2 chromitite are anorthosite or pyroxenite. Pentlandite is the major sulphide in altered UG-2 chromitite. Chalcopyrite, chalcocite-group minerals, bomite, violarite, mackinawite, haezlewoodite, cubanite and pyrrhotite are minor constituents in altered UG-2. Trace amounts of sphalerite and millerite occur. The base metals sulphides in a reference profile of unaltered UG-2 consist primarily of pentlandite with minor chalcopyrite, pyrrhotite, and pyrite. The platinum group mineral assemblage of the altered UG-2 chromitite contains a considerable amount (36%-55%) of alloys, Bi-containing, As-containing and Te-containing platinum group minerals. The amount of arsenides increases with increasing alteration and is 2% (reference profile), 28% (average of altered UG-2 profiles 1, 3, 5, and 2) and 64% for the most intensely altered UG-2 chromitite (profile 8) respectively. The proportion of platinum group sulphides decreases from 96% to 18% with increasing alteration. Platinum group element association with sulphides decreases gradually from 87% for the reference profile to 20% for the most intensely altered UG-2 chromitite. The sulphide mineral assemblages, platinum group element assemblages, and the presence of hydrous silicates in the profiles of altered UG-2 chromitite is an indication of the presence of a late-stage hydrothermal fluid modifying a primary magmatic assemblage. This is further supported by the sintering of the oxides, the presence of Co-rich pentlandite in the sintered area, and the textural and chemical overprinting of the chromites. Geology MSc Unrestricted 2022-01-12T06:00:32Z 2022-01-12T06:00:32Z 19/8/2021 1995 Dissertation * http://hdl.handle.net/2263/83232 en © 2021 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. application/pdf University of Pretoria
spellingShingle UCTD
Vaalkop replacement pegmatoid
sulphide minerology
western platinum mine
Mooinooi district
The effect of the Vaalkop replacement pegmatoid on the sulphide mineralogy at Western Platinum mine in the Mooinooi district
title The effect of the Vaalkop replacement pegmatoid on the sulphide mineralogy at Western Platinum mine in the Mooinooi district
title_full The effect of the Vaalkop replacement pegmatoid on the sulphide mineralogy at Western Platinum mine in the Mooinooi district
title_fullStr The effect of the Vaalkop replacement pegmatoid on the sulphide mineralogy at Western Platinum mine in the Mooinooi district
title_full_unstemmed The effect of the Vaalkop replacement pegmatoid on the sulphide mineralogy at Western Platinum mine in the Mooinooi district
title_short The effect of the Vaalkop replacement pegmatoid on the sulphide mineralogy at Western Platinum mine in the Mooinooi district
title_sort effect of the vaalkop replacement pegmatoid on the sulphide mineralogy at western platinum mine in the mooinooi district
topic UCTD
Vaalkop replacement pegmatoid
sulphide minerology
western platinum mine
Mooinooi district
url http://hdl.handle.net/2263/83232