BIOTITE - Serpentine minerals are a complex of layered silicates with the general formula Mg6Si4O10(OH)8. However, there is much substitution for magnesium by other elements, especially by nickel, cobalt, chromium, and iron --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In modern petrology, chlorite is the diagnostic mineral of the greenschist facies. This facies is characterized by temperatures near 450 °C (840 °F) and pressures near 5 kbar. At higher temperatures, much of the chlorite is destroyed by reactions with either potassium feldspar or phengite mica which produce biotite, muscovite, and quartz. At still higher temperatures, other reactions destroy the remaining chlorite, often with release of water vapor.
Chlorite is one of the most common minerals produced by propylitic alteration by hydrothermal systems, where it occurs in the "green rock" environment with epidote, actinolite, albite, hematite, and calcite.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Propylitic alteration is the chemical alteration of a rock, caused by iron and magnesium bearing hydrothermal fluids, altering biotite or amphibole within the rock groundmass. It typically results in epidote–chlorite–albite alteration and veining or fracture filling with the mineral assemblage along with pyrite.
The alteration occurs due to hot fluids that have a high sodium ion composition. This is typically due to fluids that have lost potassium ions in potassic alteration and gained sodium ions.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Members of the biotite group are sheet silicates. Iron, magnesium, aluminium, silicon, oxygen, and hydrogen form sheets that are weakly bound together by potassium ions. Biotite is a common group of phyllosilicate minerals within the mica group, with the approximate chemical formula K(Mg,Fe) 3AlSi 3O 10(F,OH)
2. It is primarily a solid-solution series between the iron-endmember annite, and the magnesium-endmember phlogopite; more aluminous end-members include siderophyllite and eastonite. Biotite was regarded as a mineral species by the International Mineralogical Association until 1998, when its status was changed to a mineral group ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
IN SUMMARY ?
Chlorites can morph into - Biotites - with feldspars.
Aluma silicates are quite important.
Biotites are the - MICAS.
Stop and really think about this...
Chlorites to Biotites.
Maybe... East of Wanapetei, didn't see too much heat, no mafics like west of Wanapetei,
thus... cooler hydrofluids didn't transition the chllrites and aluma silicates into mafics.
Some may argue.. .but the more i research the aluma silicates...
They seem to have a significant role play in the formation of other minerals and their morphology.
Whne one really assesses what sulphides are...
They're sulphur salts.
Now... throw in all the other salts - aluma silicates.
Still Salts.
What's going on then....if one can be labelled mafic ?
I would hazzard the guess and say... one has more iron and saw far more heat to morph the
minerals into other transitions.
While the other saw less heat - only hydrothermal fluids - and the morphing only
progessed so far.
One can somewhat back this by...
rereading the (chlorite ) section above whereas, chlorite can transition feldspars into biotite.
Which makes alot of sense seeing how feldspars have the inherent character of sheet like glass facies -
I'd be focusing on outcrops of Feldspar... looking for the potassic / chloritc - transition - hoping for a hidden nickel.
In other papers i've come across...
Nickel was found in between the facies of the sheet like glass of micas.
hidden.
undetected.
And could explain away... why some can't detect the nickel using inferrior detrctors or,
detectors only detrcting the higher percentge mineral.
EXAMPLE - 60% magnesium 40% nickel.
We can take this study one step further...
SUDBURY
DIABASE DYKES
BIOTITES
NICKEL
Type I
biotite within IQD is compositionally distinct from those observed in all other lithologies associated with the Sudbury Igneous Complex and its footwall rocks, and can be most readily discriminated in a Ni/Cr vs. Ni binary diagram or in a Ni–Cr–Cu ternary diagram by anomalously high Ni content and Ni/Cr ratio >
2. Application of biotite chemistry to routine exploration
requires establishing local “background” metal-in-biotite concentrations for each potential host lithology, and scrutiny of anomalous or heterogeneous metal contents in biotite resulting from discrete sulfide microinclusions that contaminate the analytical volume, and
chloritization or coeval sulfide minerals in direct contact with biotite causing localized modifications to primary biotite metal abundance. In the Sudbury environment, the Ni–Cr–Cu chemistry of biotite can be used (i) in drill core to identify proximity to mineralization, and to differentiate QD (hosting minimal sulfides) from IQD (primary host to sulfide ore bodies), rock types for which
bulk textural and compositional discrimination is problematic; and (ii) in soils and tills through the analysis of biotite and its weathering products to locate buried or surface-exposed IQD. The results may be extended to other mafic–ultramafic systems
where sulfide-saturated or metal-enriched intrusive phases grew metal-enriched biotite during primary crystallization, or through secondary processes of metasomatic enrichment involving remobilization of base metals by magmatic-hydrothermal fluids.
READ MORE
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/274572615_The_Ni-Cr-Cu_content_of_biotite_as_pathfinder_elements_for_magmatic_sulfide_exploration
_associated_with_mafic_units_of_the_Sudbury_Igneous_Complex_Ontario_Canada
KEY TAKEAWAYS ?
Fledspars
Micas
Chlorite morphing
Biotites
Establishing a means of finding the metal content with in the - bitotite or micas.
Recognizing the relationship of the aluma silicates and how they morph with each other.
If nickel can transition to a salt...
Whose to say... nickel is not an metal product that was derived from other aluma silicates ?
Ahhhhh.
BMK - should do a retake on thier cores - honing in on - cores with significant biotites and micas and feldspars - aluminum and magnesium, manganese.
Is it any wonder why nickel along with the other salt minerals are highly saught after for
battery elements ?
Here's hoping we didn't give away 144,000 tonnes of ore...
With the unknown of... could there be a hidden nickel with in ?
The more i research about nickel...
The more i'm discovering the close relationship nickel has with other salt minerals.
Just look at the relavence of, potassium and feldspars has to copper.
They go hand in hand. It's not always about iron.
And... if others find this subject fascinating...
Perform a few searches online with the key words - under images -
- nickel sulphate
- nickel chloride
- copper chloride
- copper sulphate
= both minerals in each of these reactants turn ( blue and green )
Now... if hydrothermal fluids were not hot enough to scorch and turn to mafics...
Could several of the key minerals still be in solution but solid - blues + greens ?
Who knows.
Electrolysis would be idea to know for certain.
Cheers....