Tin-bearing minerals at the Furong tin deposit, South China: Implications for tin mineralization

Abstract

It remains poorly constrained whether remobilization of Sn from granites and prograde skarns plays an essential role in forming economic (skarn-type) tin mineralization. Using both electron probe microanalysis and laser ablation–inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry methods, in-situ Sn contents, as well as major elements, were analyzed for numerous silicates and magnetite from fresh granite, altered granite, and skarn at the large Furong Sn deposit (530,000 t Sn @ 0.8% Sn) in the Nanling Range, South China. Hornblende and biotite in fresh granite are the main Sn-bearing phases (Sn = 44–321 ppm), while plagioclase and K-feldspar are poor in Sn (< 5 ppm). In altered granite, tin is hosted mainly by hydrothermal muscovite (299–583 ppm) replacing plagioclase, but rarely by chlorite (mostly <10 ppm) replacing hornblende and biotite. In contrast, most silicates (garnet, diopside, vesuvianite, pargasite and epidote) and magnetite from tin skarn are Sn-rich (47–44,241 ppm), except for Sn-poor phlogopite and scapolite (< 10 ppm). In particular, garnet, pargasite, and epidote reach tin concentrations in the percent range. Tin generally enters the stannous silicates and magnetite through substitutions for octahedral Alvi and Fe3+. Comparisons of Sn contents between magmatic and hydrothermal minerals in granite, prograde and retrograde minerals related to tin skarn indicate that remobilization of Sn from granite and prograde skarn is not a pre-requisite to form tin mineralization.