The Hämmerlein orebody: Lithological units and Sn deportment


The Hämmerlein orebody: Lithological units and Sn deportment

Kern, M.; Kästner, J.; Gutzmer, J.

The Hämmerlein seam is part of the world class Tellerhäuser deposit in the Erzgebirge, Germany, and represents a compositionally complex polymetallic Sn-In-Zn skarn. Current resources amount to 100 000 t Sn at a cut-off grade of 0.2 wt. %. In addition, 2100 t of In and 270 000 t of Zn have been estimated [1]. In the late 1970s, 50 000 t of ore from the Hämmerlein seam were mined and processed experimentally in a pilot plant, but grade and recovery remained below expectations. Cited reasons for poor recovery the complex mineralogy and variability in grain sizes of valuable minerals [2]. The predicted rise in global Sn consumption and limited availability of high grade deposits [3] render the Tellerhäuser deposit an interesting exploration target [1].
A consortium of German research institutions is conducting new beneficiation experiments on ores from the Hämmerlein orebody. Determination of the Sn deportment and the characterization of the different units are the first step towards successful beneficiation. For this purpose, three transects in the central part of the Hämmerlein seam were mapped and sampled. Thin sections were prepared and analyzed using the Mineral Liberation Analyzer (MLA) to obtain quantitative data about mineralogy, mineral grain sizes, mineral intergrowth and mineral associations. The remaining material was crushed to 99 % < 250 µm and grain mounts were prepared for geochemical analysis and for further MLA studies.
Taking into account the amount of main ore- and/or gangue-forming minerals, following three units of the orebody have been distinguished: 1. magnetite-dominated (40 – 80 wt. % magnetite), 2. sulphide-dominated (> 20 wt. % sphalerite) and 3. silicate-dominated (> 60 wt. % silicates). In the silicate-dominated unit a gradual transition of different silicate minerals enables further discrimination of a chlorite-rich, an amphibole-chlorite-rich, an epidote-pyroxene-rich and a garnet-rich subunit. The hanging and footwall are best described as mica schist and gneiss, respectively. Both are partially overprinted and show skarn features in proximity to the skarn ore body.
Sn-bearing minerals are present in the skarn ore body as well as in the overprinted host rocks. The primary host mineral for Sn is cassiterite (SnO2) with grain sizes between 1 µm and 1 mm. Some of the cassiterite has fibrous crystal habit. Significant amounts (ca. 1.4 wt. %) of coarse-grained (50 µm to 1 mm) cassiterite are present in the chlorite subunit. The amphibole-chlorite subunit contains an average of 0.3 wt. % cassiterite. Additional samples from other parts of the Hämmerlein seam indicate significant amounts of cassiterite in the magnetite and the sulphide ore types as well. Malayaite (CaSnSiO5) is the second most abundant Sn mineral. It appears in fine-grained aggregates in the amphibole-chlorite subunit of the silicate-dominated ore type and in the magnetite-dominated ore type reaching concentrations of ca. 0.1 wt. %. Notable Sn concentrations were detected by EDX in typically Sn-free titanite, epidote and iron oxides. However, the total amount of Sn in these minerals account for less than 10 wt. % of the total Sn content of the deposit.
Our preliminary results illustrates that the Sn mineralisation of the Hämmerlein orebody is indeed very complex. The highest beneficiation potential has cassiterite and maybe malayaite, depending on the concentrations and host unit.

  • Poster
    GOOD Meeting 2016, 16.-18.03.2016, Freiberg, Deutschland
  • Contribution to proceedings
    GOOD Meeting 2016, 14.-16.03.2016, Freiberg, Deutschland

Permalink: https://www.hzdr.de/publications/Publ-24744
Publ.-Id: 24744