Sericite

Complete unmixing of the mixed-layered minerals requires temperatures on the order of 400°C or a relatively high degree of metamorphism (phengite - muscovite + chlorite). Velde (1964), Weaver (1965), Raman and Jackson (1966), and Weaver and Beck (1971a) have presented data to indicate chloritic layers are present in most, if not all, 10A illites. Based on chemical data, Raman and Jackson concluded that the illites they had examined contained 20—29% chlorite layers. Weaver and Beck believe that most of the chloritic layers are dioctahedral. 

The specific nature of illite is still an open question. The authors, for obvious reasons, favor the chloritic interpretation. 

The term sericite is frequently used to describe fine-grained dioctahedral micas. This material is usually coarser than illites and often hydrothermal in origin. Sericites 

Minato and Takano (1952) Unnan mine, Shimane prefecture, Japan. 

Doelter (1914) secondary muscovite from Epprechstein (Germany). 

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Mineral Mining Corp. Kershaw, S.C. 22,675 dry product is sericite for paint industry... 

Serizltisienmg, /. (Petrog.) sericitization. serologisch a. serological, serds <2. serous. 

Ore deposits associated with volcanic rocks generally exhibit polymetallic (Cu, Pb, Zn, Sn, W, Au, Ag, Mo, Bi, Sb, As and In) mineralization. Sulfur isotopic values of sulfides from these deposits are close to 0%o, suggesting a deep-seated origin of the sulfide sulfur. Clay deposits (pyrophyllite, sericite and kaolinite) are associated with both felsic volcanic rocks and ilmenite-series granitic rocks of late Cretaceous age in the San-yo Belt. 

Hydrothermal clay-silica deposits (kaolinite, halloysite, sericite, montmorillonite and silica) and zeolite deposits occur in Tertiary-Quaternary volcanic regions. These deposits are distributed in areas of epithermal gold mineralization. 

Most of epithermal precious-metal vein-type deposits in Japan can be classed as adularia-sericite-type, and low sulfidation-type. Very few hot spring-type deposits (quartz-alunite-type, high sulfidation-type) are found in the Japanese Islands. A summary of various characteristic features of adularia-sericite type (low sulfidation-type) is given mainly in section 1.4. 

Shikazono et al. (1990) divided epithermal precious-metal vein-type deposits into Te-bearing and Se-bearing deposits. As will be considered later, Te-bearing deposits are regarded as intermediate-type of adularia-sericite-type and hot spring-type. The distinction between these two types of deposits is discussed in section 1.4. 

The formation which is mostly composed of dacite lavas, tuff breccia and mudstone (Hanaoka, Yukisawa, Uwamuki formations) conformably overlies the Hotakizawa and Sasahata formations. The thickness of these formations is 300-400 m. Kuroko ore deposits occur at the upper part of this formation. White rhyolite lava domes characterized by intense sericite alteration have a close spatial relationship with Kuroko deposits. 

The Y, C and B sub-types roughly correspond to types 1, 2 and 3 as defined by Urabe (1974a), who classified Kuroko deposits based on hydrothermal alteration and ore mineral assemblages type 1, kaolinite-pyrophyllite-diaspore-type type 2, sericite-chlorite-type type 3, sericite—chlorite-carbonate-type. Hydrothermal alterations in the Kuroko mine area are described in section 1.3.2. 

Dominant gangue minerals in Kuroko deposits are quartz, barite, anhydrite, gypsum, chlorite, sericite, and sericite/smectite. Morphology of quartz changes from euhedral in the centre to the irregular in the margin of the deposits (Urabe, 1978). No amorphous silica and cristobalite have been found. 

Mixed layer clay mineral (sericite/smectite) is found in Kuroko ore bodies and altered dacitic rocks underlying the ore. This mineral is thought to have formed by the... 

For example. Date et al. (1983) recognized the following alteration zones in the Fukazawa Kuroko mine area of Hokuroku district from the centre (near the orebody) to the margin (1) sericite-chlorite zone (zone 111 in Figs. 1.20-1.22) characterized by quartz + sericite Mg-rich chlorite (2) montmorillonite zone (zone 11 in Fig. 1.20) characterized by Mg-Ca-type montmorillonite + quartz kaolinite calcite sericite Fe-rich chlorite and (3) zeolite zone (zone 1 in Fig. 1.20) characterized by clinoptilolite + mordenite + Mg-Na-type montmorillonite cristobalite calcite or analcime + Mg-Na-type montmorillonite + quartz calcite sericite Fe-rich chlorite (Fig. 1.20). 

Figure 1.25. Map of probabilities of centres of Kuroko deposits based on sodium depletion, sericite, and gypsum plus anhydrite (Singer and Kouda, 1988).

Pyrophyllite and diaspore alterations were reported from several Kuroko deposits, although they are not common (Urabe, 1974a). This type of hydrothermal alteration is thought to have occurred at a later stage than the hydrothermal alterations associated with Kuroko mineralization (sericite, chlorite, and zeolites) (Utada, personal communication, 1995). 

Figure 1.28. Whole-rock 0 values of Miocene volcanic and sedimentary rocks from the Hokuroku district, grouped by alteration zones. Each square represents one sample. Mont. = montmorillonite, Ser. = sericite, Chi. = chlorite, av. = average (Green et ah, 1983).

Figure 1.29. Calculated changes in the S 0 values of volcanic rocks (5 0 = +7.0%c) as a result of equilibrium oxygen isotope exchange with waters of different initial compositions. The dotted areas represent the ranges of rocks in the zeolite and the sericite-chlorite zones (Green et al., 1983).

Negative Eu anomaly is also found in the fresh and altered dacitic rocks (Dudas et al., 1983). Therefore this negative anomaly in anhydrite is also explained in terms of an influence of sericitization of dacite accompanied by the depletion of Eu. 

The age of formation of epithermal vein-type deposits can be estimated from K-Ar ages of K-bearing minerals (adularia, sericite) in veins and in hydrothermal alteration zones nearby the veins. A large number of K-Ar age data have been accumulated since the work by Yamaoka and Ueda (1974) who reported K-Ar age data on adularia from Seigoshi Au-Ag (3.7 Ma) and Takadama Au-Ag deposits (8.4 Ma). Before their publication on the K-Ar ages of these deposits it was generally accepted that epithermal... 

In eomparison, the Te-type deposits contain fine-grained quartz, chalcedonic quartz, sericite, barite, adularia, ehlorite/smectite interstratified mixed layer clay mineral and rarely anatase. Carbonates and Mn-minerals are very poor in the Te-type deposits and they do not coexist with Te-minerals. Carbonates are abundant and barite is absent in the Se-type deposits. The grain size of quartz in the Te-type deposits is very fine, while large quartz crystals are common in the Se-type deposits although they formed in a late stage and do not coexist with Au-Ag minerals. 

Principal gangue minerals in base-metal vein-type deposits are quartz, chlorite, Mn-carbonates, calcite, siderite and sericite (Shikazono, 1985b). Barite is sometimes found. K-feldspar, Mn-silicates, interstratified mixed layer clay minerals (chlorite/smectite, sericite/smectite) are absent. Vuggy, comb, cockade, banding and brecciated textures are commonly observed in these veins. 

The predominant gangue minerals vary with different types of ore deposits quartz, chalcedonic quartz, adularia, calcite, smectite, interstratified mica/smectite, interstratified chlorite/smectite, sericite, zeolites and kaolinite in Au-Ag rich deposits chlorite, quartz, sericite, carbonates (calcite, rhodoehrosite, siderite), and rare magnetite in Pb-Zn rich deposits chlorite, serieite, siderite, hematite, magnetite and rare epidote in Cu-rich deposits (Sudo, 1954 Nagasawa et al., 1976 Shikazono, 1985b). 

Representative propylitie alteration minerals inelude epidote, albite, earbonates, quartz, chlorite, sericite, and smectite. The less common minerals are mixed-layer elay minerals such as chlorite/smectite and sericite/smectite and zeolite minerals. 

Lateral zonation from a sericitic envelope to an intermediate argillic envelope is common in the porphyry copper deposits and vein-type deposits in granodioritic rocks... 

The vein is composed of rhythmic banding of quartz layers and fine-grained sulfides such as argentite, acanthite, sphalerite, galena, pyrite and chalcopyrite, and elec-trum. The principal gangue minerals are quartz, calcite, adularia and interstratified chlorite/smectite. Minor minerals are inesite, johansenite, xonotlite and sericite. These gangue minerals except for quartz, adularia, calcite and sericite are not found in the wall rocks. 

Oxidation of H2S (reaction (1-35)) occurs under the near-surface environment. Oxygen may be supplied from oxygenated groundwater. These oxidation reactions liberate H+ ion, leading to a decrease in pH. Under low pH conditions intermediate argillic alteration minerals (e.g., kaolinite, sericite) are stable. 

Gangue minerals and salinity give constraints on the pH range. The thermochemical stability field of adularia, sericite and kaolinite depends on temperature, ionic strength, pH and potassium ion concentration of the aqueous phase. The potassium ion concentration is estimated from the empirical relation of Na+/K+ obtained from analyses of geothermal waters (White, 1965 Ellis, 1969 Fournier and Truesdell, 1973), experimental data on rock-water interactions (e.g., Mottl and Holland, 1978) and assuming that salinity of inclusion fluids is equal to ffZNa+ -h m + in which m is molal concentration. From these data potassium ion concentration was assumed to be 0.1 and 0.2 mol/kg H2O for 200°C and 250°C. 

Figure 1.96. Log /oj-pH diagram constructed for temperature = 200°C, ionic strength = 1, ES = 10 m, and EC = 10 m. Solid line represents aqueous sulfur and carbon species boundaries which are loci of equal molalities. Dashed lines represent the stability boundaries for some minerals. Ad adularia. Bn bomite, Cp chalcopyrite, Ht hematite, Ka kaolinite, Mt magnetite, Po pyrrhotite, Py pyrite, Se sericite. Heavy dashed lines (1), (2), and (3) are iso-activity lines for ZnCOs component in carbonate in equilibrium with sphalerite (1) 4 co3=0-1- (2) 4 ,co3=0-01- (3) 4 co3 =0-001 (Shikazono, 1977b).

K-Ar ages data on adularia and sericite in the veins and altered host rocks indicate that ages of mineralization vary widely, ranging from 1 Ma to 68 Ma and from 1 Ma to 24 Ma for the Se-type and Te-type, respectively (Tables 1.17 and 1.18). 

Sanru aguilarite, naumannite, polybasite, pyrargyrite, stephanite electrum, miargyrite, chalcopyrite, fahore, arsenopyrite, marcasite, pyrite, sphalerite, stibnite cinnabar quartz, adularia, kaolinite, sericite, calcite... 

Chitose aguilarite, argentite, pearceite, polybasite, proustite electrum, chalcopyrite, fahore, pyrite, galena, sphalerite quartz, adularite, chlorite, sericite, calcite... 

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