Chemistry of Hydrothermally Destabilized Rare-Metal and Radioactive Minerals in Deformed A-Type Granite in the Vicinity of Nugrus Shear Zone, South Eastern Desert, Egypt
Abstract
1. Introduction
2. Geological Setting
3. Field Observations
4. Methods
5. Petrography and Ore Mineralogy
6. Mineral Chemistry
6.1. SEM-EDX Semi-Quantitative/Qualitative Microanalytical Data
6.2. EMPA Quantitative Microanalysis
7. Discussion
7.1. Metallogenic Significance and Stages of Ore Minerals Crystallization
7.2. Mechanism of Ore Minerals Destabilization
8. Conclusions
- Inside the NW-trending Shear Zone, post-collisional A-type leucogranite is deformed, preserves some magmatic accessories (e.g., columbite, zircon, and thorite), and includes destabilized rare metal-bearing minerals due to hydrothermal alteration.
- Zircon, with a Si/Zr ratio ˂ 1.2, is the most preserved magmatic accessory. On the other hand, interstitial fluorite and apatite are completely destabilized due to decomposition by hydrothermal fluids at pH = 2–7. Newly formed hydrothermal pyrite indicates destabilization at reducing conditions.
- Destabilization of fluorite and apatite results in the liberation of Ca2+, Y3+, P5+, F−, and Cl−, which enables the crystallization of new niobates and P-F-rich thorite.
- The resulting destabilized P-F-rich thorite phases develop in three successive stages. Stages I and II witness the crystallization of Ce-bearing thorite, which is sodic and Si-depleted. In stage III, U-Nb-Y-bearing thorite is Zr-rich, non-sodic, and relatively Si-enriched.
- Three newly crystallized hydrothermal niobates are formed at the expense of magmatic columbite: fergusonite-Y, petscheckite, and uranopyrochlore. They are U-, Th-, and Y-rich and contain up to 15.24 wt% UO2, 9.52 wt% ThO2, and 6.03 wt% Y2O3.
- Based on a proposed paragenetic sequence, ore minerals can be distinguished into magmatic (stabilized), hydrothermal (non-stabilized), and supergene minerals. The latter are the lowest in abundance and comprise goethite, Fe-oxyhydroxide, altered betafite, and altered uranothorite.
Supplementary Materials
Author Contributions
Funding
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Mineral | Mineral Variety 1 | Mineral Variety 2 | Mineral Variety 3 |
---|---|---|---|
| Fresh (18 analyses) | Slightly altered (1 analysis) 95.56 wt% Sum 3.23 wt% P2O5 3.75 wt% Ce2O3 | - |
| Fergusonite-(Y) (25 analyses) | Petscheckite (3 analyses) | Uranopyrochlore (3 analyses) |
| Stage I Ce-bearing thorite/thorianite | Stage II Ce-bearing thorite | Stage III U-Nb-Y-bearing thorite |
| Fresh (7 analyses) | - | - |
| - | - | - |
| - | - | - |
Oxide Range wt% | Mineral | ||
---|---|---|---|
Fergusonite-(Y) | Petscheckite | Uranopyrochlore | |
Nb2O5 | 38.03–47.94 | 43.63–46.85 | 38.99–40.6 |
Ta2O5 | 5.78–8.15 | 7.13–10 | 7.16–10.57 |
UO2 | 9.08–15.24 | 1.26–7.86 | 6.59–10.88 |
ThO2 | 3.33–7.13 | 3.48–5.71 | 5.4–9.52 |
ZrO2 | 0–0.15 | 0.18–1.18 | 0.41–1.05 |
Y2O3 | 3.79–6.03 | 0.31–2.93 | 1.37–2.65 |
SiO2 | 0.86–1.96 | 4.57–11.22 | 4.41–9.86 |
Total (anhydrous) | 77.02–86.22 | 82.18–87.2 | 75.34–86.22 |
Mineral | Ce-Bearing Thorite/Thorianite | Ce-Bearing Thorite | U-Nb-Y-Bearing Thorite |
---|---|---|---|
Stage | I | II | III |
Degree of destabilization | Lowest | Moderate | High |
Th | Highest ThO2 content (50.16–60.12 wt%) | Moderate ThO2 content (41.38–45.13 wt%) | Lowest ThO2 content (22.58–23.63 wt%) |
P | P2O5-rich (13.7–15.6 wt%) | P2O5-rich (15.95–17 wt%) | P2O5-poor (6.34–9.14 wt%) |
F | F-rich (2.73–5.61 wt%) | F-rich (3.3–4.11 wt%) | F-poor (1.55–2.07 wt%) |
Y | Y2O3-poor (0.38–0.95 wt%) | Y2O3-poor (0.7–0.83 wt%) | Y2O3-rich (0.38–0.95 wt%) |
Nb | Nb2O5-poor (0.18–1.41 wt%) | Nb2O5-poor (0.3–1.22 wt%) | Nb2O5-rich (3.28–7.92 wt%) |
U | Lowest UO2 content (0.47–0.95 wt%) | Lowest UO2 content (0.64–0.65 wt%) | Slightly uraniferous (1.66–1.69 wt% UO2) |
S | SO3-rich (1.31–2.34 wt%) | SO3-rich (1.42–2.20 wt%) | SO3-poor (0.24–0.26 wt%) |
Zr | Low (1–2.52 wt%) | Intermediate (2.29–3.45 wt%) | High (7.75–13.75 wt%) |
Ca | CaO-rich (3.73–5 wt%) | Intermediate CaO content (3.12–3.49 wt%) | CaO-poor (1.3–1.37 wt%) |
SiO2 | SiO2-poor (2.4–5.22 wt%) | SiO2-poor (3.78–4.03 wt%) | SiO2-rich (14.56–18.79 wt%) |
Na2O | Sodic (1.33–2.28 wt% Na2O) | Sodic (1.51–1.8 wt% Na2O) | Na2O-poor (0.06–0.07 wt%) |
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Surour, A.A.; El-Tohamy, A.M.; Saleh, G.M. Chemistry of Hydrothermally Destabilized Rare-Metal and Radioactive Minerals in Deformed A-Type Granite in the Vicinity of Nugrus Shear Zone, South Eastern Desert, Egypt. Resources 2025, 14, 4. https://doi.org/10.3390/resources14010004
Surour AA, El-Tohamy AM, Saleh GM. Chemistry of Hydrothermally Destabilized Rare-Metal and Radioactive Minerals in Deformed A-Type Granite in the Vicinity of Nugrus Shear Zone, South Eastern Desert, Egypt. Resources. 2025; 14(1):4. https://doi.org/10.3390/resources14010004
Chicago/Turabian StyleSurour, Adel A., Amira M. El-Tohamy, and Gehad M. Saleh. 2025. "Chemistry of Hydrothermally Destabilized Rare-Metal and Radioactive Minerals in Deformed A-Type Granite in the Vicinity of Nugrus Shear Zone, South Eastern Desert, Egypt" Resources 14, no. 1: 4. https://doi.org/10.3390/resources14010004
APA StyleSurour, A. A., El-Tohamy, A. M., & Saleh, G. M. (2025). Chemistry of Hydrothermally Destabilized Rare-Metal and Radioactive Minerals in Deformed A-Type Granite in the Vicinity of Nugrus Shear Zone, South Eastern Desert, Egypt. Resources, 14(1), 4. https://doi.org/10.3390/resources14010004