Petrogenesis of the Neoarchean zincian chromite within ultramafic xenoliths,Bastar Craton,India

The present study reports and discusses the genesis of zincian chromite in the ultramafic xenoliths from the Dongripali area,Bastar craton,Central India.The zincian chromite is in the ultramafic xenoliths of Bengpal supracrustal rock hosted by Neoarchaean Bundeli gneisses.Compositionally zincian chromite shows a range of Cr_(2)O_(3)(39.69 to 51.66 wt%),Al_(2)O_(3)(05.30 wt%to 08.71 wt%),FeO(21.74 wt%to 27.51 wt%),Fe_(2)O_(3)(10.19 wt%to 19.36wt%)with higher ZnO content ranging from 1.73 wt%to 4.08 wt%.Accordingly,their Cr#[Cr/(Cr+Al)]varies in a narrow range from 0.83 to 0.85.Its calculated melt composition supports metamorphic or post-magmatic nature rather than common occurrences such as inclusion in diamonds,meteorites,and association with any sulfide-rich mineralised belt.This reveals that the post-magmatic processes play a vital role in transforming chromite to zincian chromite.The empirical thermometric calculation from chromite,amphibole,and pyroxene support their metamorphic origin and formed during low-P and high-T amphibolite grade facies of metamorphism(~700℃).The Neoarchaean granitic magmatism has a significant role in generating and transferring the heat during contact metamorphism with hydration of ultramafic xenoliths and further alteration,i.e.,serpentinisation.The olivine is a major repository for Mn,Zn,and Co in peridotite/ultramafic;these elements get mobilised during the metamorphism and serpentinisation.This is a possible reason for the mobilisation of zinc and incorporation in the chromite within altered ultramafic.As a result,chromiterich ultramafic xenolith subjected to metamorphic process gets enrichment of Zn and Fe due to elemental exchange.It converts common chromite into zincian chromite,as reported in altered ultramafics elsewhere.

Kinetics of solid-state reduction of chromite overburden

The demand for alternative low-grade iron ores is on the rise due to the rapid depletion of high-grade natural iron ore resources and the increased need for steel usage in daily life.However,the use of low-grade iron ores is a constant clinical task for industry metallurgists.Direct smelting of low-grade ores consumes a substantial amount of energy due to the large volume of slag generated.This condition can be avoided by direct reduction followed by magnetic separation(to separate the high amount of gangue or refractory and metal parts)and smelting.Chromite overburden(COB)is a mine waste generated in chromite ore processing,and it mainly consists of iron,chromium,and nickel(<1wt%).In the present work,the isothermal and non-isothermal kinetics of the solid-state reduction of self-reduced pellets prepared using low-grade iron ore(COB)were thoroughly investigated via thermal analysis.The results showed that the reduction of pellets followed a firstorder autocatalytic reaction control mechanism in the temperature range of 900-1100℃.The autocatalytic nature of the reduction reaction was due to the presence of nickel in the COB.The apparent activation energy obtained from the kinetics results showed that the solid-state reactions between COB and carbon were the rate-determining step in iron oxide reduction.

New Data on the Mineralogy of Chromite from the Nuggihalli Schist Belt,Western Dharwar Craton,Karnataka,India:Petrogenetic Implications

The occurrence of rhythmic layering of chromite and host serpentinites in the deformed layered igneous complexes has been noticed in the Nuggihalli schist belt （NSB） in the western Dharwar craton, Karnataka, South India. For this study, the chromitite rock samples were collected from Jambur, Tagadur, Bhakatarhalli, Ranganbetta and Byrapur in the NSB. Petrography and ore microscopic studies on chromite show intense cataclasis and alteration to ferritchromite. The ferritchromite compositions are characterized by higher Cr number （Cr/[Cr＋AI]） （0.68-0.98） and lower Mg number （Mg/[Mg＋Fe]） （0.33-0.82） ratios in ferritchromite compared to that of parent chromite. The formation process for the ferritchromite is thought to be related to the exchange of Mg, AI, Cr, and Fe between the chromite, surrounding silicates （serpentines, chlorites）, and fluid during serpentinization.

Origin of Listwanite in the Luobusa Ophiolite,Tibet,Implications for Chromite Stability in Hydrothermal Systems

Listwanite from the Luobusa ophiolite, Tibet, forms a narrow, discontinuous band along the eastern part of the southern boundary fault. We undertook a detailed petrographic and geochemical study to understand the mineral transformation processes and the behaviour of major and trace elements during listwanite formation. Three alteration zones characterized by distinct mineral components and texture are recognized and, in order of increasing degree of alteration, these are： zonem is rich in serpentine minerals; zonen is rich in talc and carbonates; and zone_Ⅰ is mainly composed of carbonates and quartz. Geochemical data for the three alteration zones show significant modification of some major and trace elements in the protolith, although some oxides show linear correlations with MgO. Gold mineralization is recognized in the Luobusa listwanite and may signify an important target for future mineral exploration. Gold enrichment occurs in both zone_Ⅰ and zone_Ⅱ and is up to 0.91 g/t in one sample from zonei. We show that CO_2-rich hydrothermal fluids can modify both the occurrence and composition of chromite grains, indicating some degree of chromite mobility. Low-Cr anhedral grains are more easily altered than high-Cr varieties. The compositions of chromite and olivine grains in the listwanite suggest a dunite protolith.

Study on mechanisms of different sulfuric acid leaching technologies of chromite

The extraction of chromate from chromite via the sulfuric acid leaching process has strong potential for practical use because it is a simple and environmentally friendly process. This paper aims to study the sulfuric acid leaching process using chromite as a raw material via either microwave irradiation or in the presence of an oxidizing agent. The results show that the main phases in Pakistan chromite are ferrichromspinel, chrompicotite, hortonolite, and silicate embedded around the spinel phases. Compared with the process with an oxidizing agent, the process involving microwaves has a higher leaching efficiency. When the mass fraction of sulfuric acid was 80% and the leaching time was 20 min, the efficiency could exceed 85%. In addition, the mechanisms of these two technologies fundamentally differ. When the leaching was processed in the presence of an oxidizing agent, the silicate was leached first and then expanded. By contrast, in the case of leaching under microwave irradiation, the chromite was dissolved layer by layer and numerous cracks appeared at the particle surface because of thermal shock. In addition, the silicate phase shrunk instead of expanding.

Decomposition mechanism of chromite in sulfuric acid–dichromic acid solution

The sulfuric acid leaching process is regarded as a promising, cleaner method to prepare trivalent chromium products from chromite; however, the decomposition mechanism of the ore is poorly understood. In this work, binary spinels of Mg–Al, Mg–Fe, and Mg–Cr in the powdered and lump states were synthesized and used as raw materials to investigate the decomposition mechanism of chromite in sulfuric acid–dichromic acid solution. The leaching yields of metallic elements and the changes in morphology of the spinel were studied. The experimental results showed that the three spinels were stable in sulfuric acid solution and that dichromic acid had little influence on the decomposition behavior of the Mg–Al spinel and Mg–Fe spinel because Mg^(2+), Al^(3+), and Fe^(3+) in spinels cannot be oxidized by Cr^(6+). However, in the case of the Mg–Cr spinel, dichromic acid substantially promoted the decomposition efficiency and functioned as a catalyst. The decomposition mechanism of chromite in sulfuric acid–dichromic acid solution was illustrated on the basis of the findings of this study.

Sulfuric acid leaching kinetics of South African chromite

The sulfuric acid leaching kinetics of South African chromite was investigated. The negative influence of a solid product layer constituted of a silicon-rich phase and chromium-rich sulfate was eliminated by crushing the chromite and by selecting proper leaching con- ditions. The dimensionless change in specific surface area and the conversion rate of the chromite were observed to exhibit a proportional re- lationship. A modified shrinking particle model was developed to account for the change in reactive surface area, and the model was fitted to experimental data. The resulting model was observed to describe experimental findings very well. Kinetics analysis revealed that the leach- ing process is controlled by a chemical reaction under the employed experimental conditions and the activation energy of the reaction is 48 kJ.mol-1.

Processing of chromite ultra-fines in a water only cyclone

In the present investigation, an attempt is made to examine the interdependencies among the operating parameters and their interactional effect on the separation performance of a water-only cyclone for treating ferruginous chromite fines. Statistically designed experiments are carried out, and empirical models are developed for the critical response parameters, i,e., yield(%) to underflow, grade(%Cr_2O_3 and%SiO_2)and Cr:Fe ratio of the underflow stream. Further, using these empirical models, operating regime of the process parameters is optimized to obtain the peak performance of water-only cyclone. Also, efforts are made to validate the prediction models with the experimental results.

Recovery of Chromite Values from Plant Tailings by Gravity Concentration

Large tonnages of chromite tailing were discarded during processing of chromite ore in the conventional circuit. A typical chromite plant tailing was treated in wilfley table for the recovery of chromite values. Optimisation study was carried out for the process parameters of wilfley table using empirical models, developed from the experimental data. It was found that grade and recovery (% Cr2O3) in the concentrate fraction majorly depended on the variation of deck tilt angle. To achieve high grade (>45%) with acceptable recovery (>40%), set of optimisation condition of parameters have derived which resulted large quantity of wash water (>5lpm of flow rate) is necessary. Validation of the empirical models were done with set of tests which resulted good agreement with the predict values (R2 is 0.96 and 0.99 for the grade and recovery respectively).

Microbial leaching of chromite overburden from Sukinda mines,Orissa,India using Aspergillus niger

Leaching of nickel and cobalt from two physical grades （S1, 125-190 μm, coarser and S3, 53-75 μm, finer） of chromite overburden was achieved by treating the overburden （2% pulp density） with 21-d culture filtrate of an Aspergillus niger strain grown in sucrose medium. Metal dissolution increases with ore roasting at 600℃ and decreasing particle size due to the alteration of microstructural properties involving the conversion of goethite to hematite and the increase in surface area and porosity as evident from X-ray diffraction （XRD）, thermogravimetry-differential thermal analysis （DT- TGA）, and field emission scanning electron microscopy （FESEM）. About 65% Ni and 59% Co were recovered from the roasted S3 ore employing bioleaching against 26.87% Ni and 31.3% Co using an equivalent amount of synthetic oxalic acid under identical conditions. The results suggest that other fungal metabolites in the culture filtrate played a positive role in the bioleaching process, making it an efficient green approach in Ni and Co recovery from lateritic chromite overburden.

THERMODYNAMICS STUDY ON THE DECOMPOSITION OF CHROMITE WITH KOH

Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China, has proposed a method for oxidative leaching of chromite with potassium hydroxide. Understanding the mechanism of chromite decomposition, especially in the potassium hydroxide fusion, is important for the optimization of the operating parameters of the oxidative leaching process. A traditional thermodynamic method is proposed and the thermal decomposition and the reaction decomposition during the oxidative leaching of chromite with KOH and oxygen is discussed, which suggests that chromite is mainly destroyed by reactions with KOH and oxygen. Meanwhile, equilibrium of the main reactions of the above process was calculated at different temperatures and oxygen partial pressures. The stable zones of productions, namely, K2CrO4 and Fe2O3, increase with the decrease of temperature, which indicates that higher temperature is not beneficial to thermodynamic reactions. In addition, a comparison of the general alkali methods is carried out, and it is concluded that the KOH leaching process is thermodynamically superior to the conventional chromate production process.

Magnetic separation studies on ferruginous chromite fine to enhance Cr:Fe ratio

The Cr：Fe ratio （chromium-to-iron mass ratio） of chromite affects the production of chrome-based ferroalloys. Although the lit- erature contains numerous reports related to the magnetic separation of different minerals, limited work concerning the application of mag- netic separation to fine chromite from the Sukinda region of India to enhance its Cr：Fe ratio has been reported. In the present investigation, magnetic separation and mineralogical characterization studies of chromite fines were conducted to enhance the Cr：Fe ratio. Characterization studies included particle size and chemical analyses, X-ray diffraction analysis, automated mineral analysis, sink-and-float studies, and mag- netic susceptibility measurements, whereas magnetic separation was investigated using a rare earth drum magnetic separator, a rare earth roll magnetic separator, an induced roll magnetic separator, and a wet high-intensity magnetic separator. The fine chromite was observed to be upgraded to a Cr：Fe ratio of 2.2 with a yield of 55.7% through the use of an induced roll magnetic separator and a feed material with a Cr：Fe ratio of 1.6.

Occurrence and Evaluation of Chromium Reducing Bacteria in Seepage Water from Chromite Mine Quarries of Orissa, India

Chromium pollution due to leaching and weathering of chromite mine overburden in mine seepage water is a serious environmental problem. In an attempt to explore the indigenous chromate resistant and reducing bacteria from chromite mine quarry seepage, 145 aerobic, heterotrophic bacteria were isolated from 14 mine seepage samples derived from chromite mines of Sukinda valley and Baula-Nuasahi belt in Orissa, India. A total of 109 isolates which were tolerant to 2 mM Cr(VI) showed different degrees of Cr(VI) reducing activ-ity in complex KSC medium and synthetic Vogel Bonner (VB) broth. Ten isolates belonging to genera like Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter, Alcaligenes, Cupriavidus and Corynebacterium were selected on the basis of their chromate reducing efficiency and it was found that they could reduce more than 50 and 75% of Cr(VI) in VB broth and KSC medium respectively. The sole Gram-positive isolate, Corynebacterium paurometabo-lum SKPD 1204 (MTCC 8730) showed maximum chromate reducing capacity in both VB broth (63.7%) and KSC medium (92%) and was capable of reducing nearly 95% of the total Cr(VI) in the mine seepage when it was grown in the mine seepage supplemented with 2% VB concentrate.

Evaluation of Chromite Recovery from Shaking Table Tailings by Magnetic Separation Method

This study aimed to evaluate the chromite recovery from shaking table tailings of Forumad plant by a dry high-intensity magnetic separation. The average feed grade of chromium trioxide (Cr2O3) was 7.62% by XRF. Also, different mineral phases were determined by XRD, identifying the presence of Chrysotile, Augite, Albite, Chlorite and Chromite. Although the Forumad plant usually applies gravity methods utilizing the specific gravity difference between chromite and other gangue minerals, this study applied magnetic separation utilizing the paramagnetic nature of chromite crystals to recover chromite from tailings. 27 tests for 3 factors in 3 levels designed by the Taguchi method with design expert 12 software to determine the optimum conditions for the grade and recovery. Finally, the best condition was identified at 10,000 gauss (or 1 tesla) in the magnetic field intensity, 1 kg/min feeding rate, and 40 rpm drum rotating speed which produced a concentrate with 34.65% Cr2O3 and 59.42% recovery.

Optimization of Chromate Reduction by Whole Cells of <i>Arthrobacter</i>sp. SUK 1205 Isolated from Metalliferous Chromite Mine Environment

Arthrobacter sp. SUK 1205 isolated from metalliferous chromite mine environment of Orissa, India showed wide degree of tolerance to heavy metals including Cr(VI), variety of antibiotics and was also capable of reducing Cr(VI) during growth. Freshly grown whole cells of this bacterium were evaluated for chromate reduction under batch culture using Vogel Bonner (V. B.) broth as the base. Cells of SUK 1205 were capable of completely reducing 100 μM Cr(VI) in V. B. broth within 48 h of incubation. Reduction of chromate increased with increase in cell density which attained maximum at 1010 cells/ml, however, reverse was the phenomenon when the concentration of Cr(VI) increased gradually. Glycerol, glycine and glucose promoted chromate reduction efficiency of the cells when used as electron donors. Optimum pH and temperature were found to be 7.0 and 35°C respectively. The process of reduction was inhibited by Ni(II), Mn(II), Zn(II) and Co(II), but Cu(II) and Fe(III) was promotive in nature. On the other hand, 2, 4-dinitrophenol was found to be neither promotive nor inhibitory for the reduction process, but carbonyl cyanide-m-chloro phenyl hydrazone, sodium azide, sodium fluoride and N,N,-dicyclohexyl carboiimide were inhibitory. Cells of SUK 1205 when permeabilized with toluene, triton X-100 and tween 80 showed an enhancement of the process and thereby indicated that reduction of Cr(VI) was mainly associated with soluble component of the cells. Arthrobacter sp. SUK 1205, therefore, showed great promise for use in Cr(VI) detoxification under a wide range of environmental conditions.

KT Boundary Chromites Determined to be Terrestrial:Cr Isotopic Evidence for Excavation and Ejection of Mafic/Ultramafic Rocks by the KT Boundary Impact

Evidence for a mantle and/or basaltic component in KT boundary distal ejecta is apparently inconsistent with ejection from Chicxulub Crater since it is located on;5km thick continental crust（De Paolo et al.,1983;Montanari et al.,1983;Hildebrand and Boynton,1988,1990）.Evidence for mafic/ultramafic target rocks was reinforced by discovery of chromites,some with shock planar deformation features（PDF）,in impact layer samples from sites in southern Colorado and eastern Wyoming（Bohor et al.,1990）.However,until now it was unclear whether the chromites originated with an impactor or with terrestrial target rocks.To this end,high-precision 54Cr/52Cr isotope ratios were measured on KT boundary chromites along with known terrestrial chromites.We find a terrestrial 54Cr/52Cr ratio in KT boundary chromites from impact layer samples collected at the above sites over the last several years（Fig.1）.Ejected terrestrial chromites suggest the impact sampled terrestrial mafic and/or ultramafic target rocks not known to exist in the Chicxulub target area.

Occurrence and Emplacement of Chromite Ores in Sindhudurg District,Maharashtra,India

In the present study,we present the occurrence and emplacement of chromite ore deposits from two abandoned mines（Kankavali[Janoli]and Wagda） in the Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra,India.These ores,that occurred as lenses and are associated with metamorphic and ultrabasic rocks,consist of octahedral grains of chromite,while clinochlore is present between the interstices of these grains.The Kankavali（Janoli） and Wagda ores revealed a dominance of Cr_2O_3 followed by FeO and variable proportions of A1_2O_3,MgO,and SiO_2.The former deposits have a slightly higher Cr_2O_3（average 52 wt%） and FeO（～18 wt%） than those from Wagda（Cr_2O_3～50 wt%,FeO～25 wt%）.The similar Cr~# values（0.73 for Kankavali[Janoli],0.74 for Wagda） correspond to those reported for typical podiform-type chromite deposits.We suggest that the ores were emplaced as phacoliths in folded outcrops with a steep easterly dip and a northwest-southeast trend.We postulate the continuation of the fold structure from Janoli to Wagda（～4.5 km apart） and the probable （sporadic） occurrence of chromite along this stretch.The possibility of the contribution of chromite grains from these areas to the coastal placer deposits cannot be ruled out.

STUDY ON Fe ION DISTRIBUTION IN NATURAL CHROMITE BY MOSSBAUER TECHNIQUE

Mossbauer absorption spectra in a natural chromite from Shanxi province of China were measured, covering a temperature range from 12 K to 800 K. Each spectrum at low temperature can be fitted to three doublets: the first two are attributed to tetrahedral T-site Fe ions and the third one to octahedral M-site Fe ions. Such assignment was confirmed by the detailed analyses of the temperature dependent centre shift and other parameters. As a main result, our data strongly supported the ordered distribution with Fe2+ in T-site and Fe3+ in M-site for chromite studied. No evidence for electron hopping processes was detected.

Electrical properties of dry polycrystalline olivine mixed with various chromite contents: Implications for the high conductivity anomalies in subduction zones

Chromite,a crucial high-conductivity mineral phase of peridotite in ophiolite suites,has a significant effect on the electrical structure of subduction zones.The electrical conductivities of sintered polycrystalline olivine containing various volume percents of chromite(0,4,7,10,13,16,18,21,23,100 vol.%)were measured using a complex impedance spectroscopic technique in the frequency range of 10^(−1)-10^(6) Hz under the conditions of 1.0-3.0 GPa and 873-1223 K.The relationship between the conductivities of the chromite-bearing olivine aggregates and temperatures conformed to the Arrhenius equation.The positive effect of pressure on the conductivities of the olivine-chromite systems was much weaker than that of temperature.The chromite content had an important effect on the conductivities of the olivine-chromite systems,and the bulk conductivities increased with increasing volume fraction of chromite to a certain extent.The inclusion of 16 vol.%chromites dramatically enhanced the bulk conductivity,implying that the percolation threshold of interconnectivity of chromite in the olivine-chromite systems is-16 vol.%.The fitted activation enthalpies for pure polycrystalline olivine,polycrystalline olivine with isolated chromite,polycrystalline olivine with interconnected chromites,and pure polycrystalline chromite were 1.25,0.78-0.87,0.48-0.54,and 0.47 eV,respectively.Based on the chemical compositions and activation enthalpies,small polaron conduction was proposed to be the dominant conduction mechanism for polycrystalline olivine with various chromite contents.Furthermore,the conductivities of polycrystalline olivine with interconnected chromite(10-1.5-100.5 S/m)provides a reasonable explanation for the high conductivity anomalies in subduction-related tectonic environments.

Geochemistry and mineralogy of platinum-group elements(PGE)in chromites from CentralnoyeⅠ,Polar Urals,Russia

The Polar Urals region of northern Russia is well known for large chromium （Cr）-bearing massifs with major chromite orebodies, including the Centralnoye I deposit in the Ray-Iz ultramafic massif of the Ural ophiolite belt. New data on platinum （Pt）-group elements （PGE）, geochemistry and mineralogy of the host dunite shows that the deposit has anomalous iridium （Ir） values. These values indicate the predominance of ruthenium--osmium--iridium （Ru--Os--Ir）-bearing phases among the platinum-group mineral （PGM） assemblage that is typical of mantle-hosted chromite ores. Low Pt values in chromites and increased Pt values in host dunites might reflect the presence of cumulus PGM grains. The most abundant PGM found in the chromite is erlichmanite （up to 15 μm）. Less common are cuproiridsite （up to 5 μm）, irarsite （up to 4--5 μm）, and laurite （up to 4 μm）. The predominant sulfide is heazlewoodite, in intergrowth with Ni--Fe alloys, sporadically with pentlandite, and rarely with pure nickel. Based on the average PGE values and esti- mated Cr-ore resources, the Centralnoye I deposit can be considered as an important resource of PGE.