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Mineralogical Magazine; April 2007; v. 71; no. 2; p. 123-142; DOI: 10.1180/minmag.2007.071.2.123
© 2007 Mineralogical Society of Great Britain and Ireland
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Gold-bearing arsenopyrite and pyrite in refractory ores: analytical refinements and new understanding of gold mineralogy

M. Benzaazoua1,2,*, P. Marion1, F. Robaut3 and A. Pinto4

1 Laboratoire Environnement et Minéralurgie, École Nationale Supérieure de Géologie, UMR 6975 INPL-CNRS, B.P. 40, 54501 Vandœuvre-Lès-Nancy Cedex, France
2 Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue, URSTM, 445 Boulevard de l’Université, Rouyn-Noranda, Qc, Canada J9X 5E4
3 Consortium des Moyens Technologiques Communs, Institut National Polytechnique de Grenoble, B.P. 75, 38402 St Martin D’Hères Cedex, France
4 University of Lisbon – Creminer/Geology Department, Edifício C6, Piso 4, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal

* E-mail: mostafa.benzaazoua{at}uqat.ca

A multidisciplinary approach has been used to study Au occurrences within pyrite and arsenopyrite in four refractory Au ores from Colombia, France (Le Châtelet and Villeranges) and Portugal (Neves Norte). The Au was characterized by optical and scanning electron microscopy and analysed using electron and ion microprobes to determine Au distribution, with particular attention to spectral interferences in electron and ion microprobes, background measurements in electron probes, and quantitative analysis using external standardization in ion probes. The ionic emission rate is proven to be dependent on the Au status; combined Au has a greater ion emission than metallic Au. Invisible Au occurrences are closely linked to As distribution. Gold bonding in arsenopyrite, examined by transmission electron microscopy, is shown to be dispersed within the FeAsS crystal structure. Typical growth patterns and As-Au diffusion zoning in pyrite and arsenopyrite may account for the very irregular distribution of Au in these minerals.

KEYWORDS: gold, arsenic, arsenopyrite, pyrite, refractory ores, growth zoning, electron microprobe analysis, secondary ion mass spectrometry, transmission electron microscopy






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