RARE ELEMENTS IN SULPHIDES FROM THE IBERIAN PYRITE BELT

摘要

Volcanic-hosted massive sulphide deposits are among the most important producers of Indium in the world. The Iberian Pyrite belt hosts deposits with considerable concentrations over several hundreds of ppm of rare elements such as indium and germanium adding additional economic interest to the traditionally extracted ore. Research carried out using microprobe techniques, EPMA and PIXE confirmed that sulphides are the main In-bearing and Ge- bearing minerals. Sphalerite containing traces of indium was found in the Lagoa Salgada Deposit, in contrast with the Neves-Corvo Deposit where indium was mostly found in stannite and stannoidite. In the Barrigao Deposit, germanium was found to be contained in zoned areas of chalcopyrite.