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Date submitted2024-04-12
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Date accepted2024-09-05
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Date published2024-11-12
Promising reagents for the extraction of strategic metals from difficult-to-enrich mineral raw materials
The need of the mining and processing industry for new types of directional reagents is due to the deterioration of the material composition of the processed ores. Low Au content (less than 0.5-1.0 g/t), finely dispersed Au inclusions (0.1-10.0 microns) in the ore, similar properties of the separated minerals have an extremely negative effect on flotation performance when using traditional reagents, which leads to significant losses of valuable metal with enrichment tailings. Expanding the range of domestic flotation reagents based on the latest achievements of fundamental research and their targeted application at mining and processing companies will compensate for the negative impact of the mineral composition of raw materials and ensure maximum extraction of strategic metals from difficult-to-enrich ores. The use of modern research methods (scanning electron and laser microscopy, UV spectrophotometry, XRF and chemical analysis) made it possible to visualize the adsorption layer of new reagents-collectors of a number of dithiocarbamates with different structures of a hydrocarbon radical and an organic modifier on the surface of gold-containing sulfides. The amount of adsorbed reagents on the surface of minerals has been experimentally determined. The specific features of the fixation of reagents on minerals of various compositions led to optimal correlations of their consumption in the flotation process. Scientifically based reagent regimes ensured an increase in the gold content in the concentrate and a decrease in the loss of gold with tailings by 5-6 % during flotation enrichment of the refractory ore of the Malinovskoe deposit.
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Date submitted2023-07-07
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Date accepted2023-12-27
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Date published2024-12-25
A new insight into recording the mineral composition of carbonate reservoirs at well killing: experimental studies
Well killing operation remains an important technological stage before well workover or servicing, during which filtrate penetrates the bottomhole area of the formation. The impact of process fluids and their filtrate on rock has a significant influence on permeability and porosity of carbonate reservoirs, which decrease due to fines migration. There are few known scientific studies of the interaction of killing fluid filtrate with carbonate rock and fines migration. In our experiments, an aqueous phase was used which is the basis for well killing in pure form, for the preparation of blocking agents and is used in reservoir pressure maintenance system. Core samples taken from the pay of the reservoir were used to simulate the well killing process with generation of reservoir thermobaric conditions. Killing fluid filtrate was kept for seven days, which characterizes the average workover time at flowing wells in the fields of the Perm Territory. Using micro-X-ray tomography and scanning electron microscope, images were obtained before and after the experiment, which allowed confirming a decrease in total number of voids due to fines migration and, as a consequence, a decreasing permeability of samples. Measurement of pH and fines concentration in the aqueous phase was performed before and after the experiment and pointed to mineral reactions occurring as a result of rock dissolution. The results of experiments made it possible to record a decrease in permeability of carbonate samples by an average of 50 % due to clogging of void space and migration of fines (clayey and non-clayey).
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Date submitted2022-02-24
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Date accepted2022-05-25
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Date published2022-07-26
Litsa uranium ore occurrence (Arctic zone of the Fennoscandian Shield): new results of petrophysical and geochemical studies
Mineralogical, petrophysical and geochemical studies have been carried out to determine the sequence and formation conditions of uranium mineralization within the Litsa ore occurrence (Kola Region). Mineralogical studies show the following formation sequence of ore minerals: uraninite – sulfides – uranophane, coffinite, pitchblende. Two stages of uranium mineralization are distinguished: Th-U (1.85-1.75 Ga) and U (400-300 Ma). The distribution of physical properties of rocks in the area is consistent with the presence of two temporal stages in the formation of mineralization with different distribution and form of uranium occurrence in rocks. The factors that reduce rock anisotropy are the processes of migmatization and hydrothermal ore mineralization, which heal pores and cracks. Fluid inclusions in quartz studied by microthermometry and Raman spectroscopy contain gas, gas-liquid and aqueous inclusions of different salinity (1.7-18.4 wt.% NaCl-eq.). According to homogenization temperatures of inclusions in liquid phase, the temperature of the Paleoproterozoic and Paleozoic stages of uranium mineralization at the Litsa ore occurrence is ~ 300 and 200 °С, respectively. Correlations of the spatial distribution of elastic anisotropy index with an elevated radioactive background allow using this petrophysical feature as one of the prognostic criteria for uranium and complex uranium mineralization when carrying out uranium predictive work.
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Date submitted2022-03-31
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Date accepted2022-05-11
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Date published2022-07-26
Carbonatite complexes of the South Urals: geochemical features, ore mineralization, and geodynamic settings
- Authors:
- Irina L. Nedosekova
The article presents the results of study of the Ilmeno-Vishnevogorsky and Buldym carbonatite complexes in the Urals. It has been established that the carbonatites of the Ilmeno-Vishnevogorsky complex are represented by high-temperature calciocarbonatites (sövites I and II) with pyrochlore ore mineralization. U-Ta-rich populations of uranium pyrochlores (I) and fluorocalciopyrochlores (II) crystallize in miaskite-pegmatites and sövites I; fluorocalciopyrochlores (III) and Sr-REE-pyrochlores (IV) of late populations form in sövites II. In the Buldym complex, along with high-temperature calciocarbonatites containing fluorocalciopyrochlore (III), medium-temperature varieties of magnesiocarbonatites with REE-Nb mineralization (monazite, niobo-aeschynite, columbite, etc.) are widespread. Miaskites and carbonatites of the Urals are characterized by high contents of LILE (Sr, Ba, K, Rb) and HFSE (Nb, Ta, Zr, Hf, Ti), which are close to the contents in rift-related carbonatite complexes of intraplate settings and significantly differ from synorogenic collisional carbonatite complexes. The Ural carbonatite complexes formed on continental rift margins during the opening of the Ural Ocean at the time of transition from extensional to compressional tectonics. Later on, they were captured and deformed in the suture zone as a result of collision. Plastic and brittle deformations, anatexis, recrystallization of rocks and ores of carbonatite complexes in the Urals are associated with orogenic and post-collision settings.
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Date submitted2022-04-12
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Date accepted2022-05-25
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Date published2022-07-26
Rare minerals of noble metals in the collection of the Mining Museum: new data
Modern analytical methods (optical and electron microscopy, X-ray microanalysis) were used to study the unique samples of sulfide ores from the Norilsk ore field from the Mining Museum collections of Saint Petersburg Mining University. Samples containing rare minerals of silver and platinum-group metals (sobolevskite, urvantsevite, sperrylite, argentopentlandite, froodite, kotulskite, and others) were studied. The chemical composition, grain sizes, aggregates, and mineral associations of more than ten noble metal minerals have been refined. The efficiency of combining various methods of electron microscopy and X-ray microanalysis for studying samples of this type is shown. The results of the work made it possible to obtain high-quality images of rare minerals, to detail information on museum objects, and to compile their scientific description. The conducted research showed the relevance of studying museum objects from known deposits of complex genesis and mineral composition in order to find and describe the samples with rare minerals.
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Date submitted2019-10-17
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Date accepted2020-01-24
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Date published2020-04-24
Composition and probable ore igneous rocks source of columbite from alluvial deposits of Mayoko district (Republic of the Congo)
The article presents the results of optical, electron microscopic and electron microprobe studies of columbite group minerals, collected during heavy mineral concentrate sampling of alluvial deposits in the Mayoko region (Republic of the Congo). The aim of the study is revealing tantalum niobates ore body in this region. We found that these minerals in loose deposits are represented by two grain-size groups: less than 1.6 mm (fine fraction) and 1.6-15 mm (coarse fraction). The grains of both fractions belong mainly to columbite-(Fe), less often to columbite-(Mn), tantalite-(Mn) and tantalite-(Fe), contain impurities of Sc, Ti, and W. The crystals have micro-scaled zoning (zones varies slightly in the Ta/Nb ratio values) and contains a lot of mineral inclusions and veins represented by zircon, pyrochlore supergroup minerals and others. Columbite-(Fe) and columbite-(Mn) are characterized by an increased content of Ta 2 O 5 up to the transition to tantalite-(Fe) and tantalite-(Mn). This allows us to exclude the formation of subalkaline rare-metal granites, their metasomatites (albitites and greisenes) and carbonatites, from the list of possible columbite ore rocks source in the Mayoko district. Thus, beryl type and complex spodumene subtype rare-element pegmatites of the mixed petrogenetic family LCT-NYF (according to P.Černý) should be considered as a probable root source. The results of the research should be taken into account when developing the methodology for prospecting in this area.
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Date submitted2017-11-09
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Date accepted2017-12-28
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Date published2018-04-24
Chemical weathering of lower paleozoic black shales of south Sweden
- Authors:
- D. O. Voronin
- E. G. Panova
Lower Paleozoic black shales are widespread in Sweden and form part of the Baltic paleobasin, which deposits are also known in Estonia and the Leningrad Oblast of Russia. These rocks are enriched in a carbon substance and characterized by the significant content of uranium, vanadium, molybdenum, copper, nickel, cobalt, zinc, and lead. Black shales contain high levels of Sr – 968; Ba – 337; U – 229; V – 509; Mo – 165; Zn – 411; Ni – 214; Cu – 112 (ppm) in secondary minerals composition formed on their surface. Retrograde diagenetic conditions facilitate the black shales chemical weathering. Elements of the first (U), second (Mo, Sr, Zn), and third (V) hazard classes are washed out of black shales and secondary minerals and can further enter biological cycles.
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Date submitted2016-11-03
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Date accepted2016-12-27
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Date published2017-04-14
Evolution of mineral forms of rare element accumulation in ore-bearing granites and meta-somatites of Verkhneurmiysk ore cluster (Priamur region)
It has been attempted to expand existing understanding of accessory mineralization evolution of rare metal-granite series at post-magmatic stage of their development and formation of associated hydrothermal deposits. Composition and distribution of rare elements of Verkhneurmiysk ore cluster have been examined from the position of mineralogy: the study focused on accessory and ore minerals Sn, W, Nb, Ta, Bi, Y, rare earth elements in rare metal Li-F granites and associated metasomatites. It has been discovered that accessory magmatic and hydrothermal mineral complexes share the same geochemical features, are formed under the leading role of abovementioned elements and consistently follow each other over time. It has been traced how mineral forms of accumulation of Sn, W, Nb, Ta, Y and rare earth elements evolve in the processes of magmatic crystallization and post-magmatic metasomatism in the time series: rare metal granites → zwitters → tourmalinites → chloritites. Mineral rocks of each stage were noted to inherit mineralogical and geochemical distinctions from the rocks of the previous stage. A significant number of minerals, forming in the course of two-three stages, have been discovered, as well as omnipresent magmagene-hydrothermal minerals. For a number of accessory minerals of rare metal granites post-magmatic generations have been identified. Special diversity among accessories of rare metal granites and zwitters was observed in tungsten, tin and bismuth minerals.
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Date submitted2010-07-27
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Date accepted2010-09-09
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Date published2011-03-21
Utilization of enrichment waste of diamondiferous rock accounting peculiarities of M.V.Lomonosov deposit
- Authors:
- A. Yu. Oblitsov
In given article the questions of enrichment waste utilization of M.V.Lomonosov diamond deposit are considered taking in account some important peculiarities of this deposit and prospective of obtaining building materials on basis of enrichment waste products is stated.
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Date submitted2008-10-24
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Date accepted2008-12-06
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Date published2009-12-11
Geological structure, characteristics of ores and genesis of ore occurrences in the Halvdanpiggen field (West Spitsbergen island)
- Authors:
- A. N. Sirotkin
- V. V. Khailov
- D. V. Nikitin
A new metallogenic zone was separated out in a central part of the archipelago Spitsbergen by the results of exploration work. It was shown an integral series of ore areas and fields in the limits of this zone, including the ore field Halvdanpiggen. This field integrates several non-uniformly scaled the ore occurrences, which present a great interest in regard to a material composition of the ore. They likewise produce an information for determination of genesis and outlooks of total metallogenic zone. The article contains data on geology, mineralogy and geochemistry of deposits; it is established their genesis, formation membership and time of origination.
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Date submitted2008-10-21
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Date accepted2008-12-10
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Date published2009-12-11
Prediction and prospecting types of reflection of buried kimberlite fields in terrigenous diamond-bearing rocks
- Authors:
- V. N. Ustinov
On the basis of complex of lithologic-stratigraphic, mineralogical, facial-dynamic, paleogeomorphologic and morphogenetic features of post-kimberlitic terrigenous diamond-bearing rocks and reconstructed synchronous relief three prediction and prospecting types of reflection of buried kimberlite fields are distinguished. It is shown that ranging of diamondiferous territories to various types enables to direct exploration works to discovery of diamond deposits of the certain origin and makes possible to select proper prospecting technique. With the use of suggested criteria of research of promising territories the evaluation of diamond presence in the industrial regions of the Siberian, East-European and African-Arabian platforms is carried out.