Titanium Occurrence and Distribution in the Magnetite-Hematite Deposit at Benson Mines, New York

Abstract

The titanium-bearing minerals and their distributions were determined in Benson, New York, magnetite-hematite ores by ore microscopic, petrographic and electron microprobe techniques. Three hundred and fifty polished sections and seventy thin sections of Benson ores and concentrates selected to bring out variations in titanium mineralogy with respect to various geologic parameters were examined. Titanium is present in the ores in the form of at least eight minerals: ilmenite, anatase, rutile, sphene, leucoxene, biotite, as well as in solid solution in hematite and magnetite.The iron ores contain small persistent titania contents averaging 0.77 percent. Three-quarters of this amount appears to be present in solid solution in the hematite grains of the average Benson hematite ore, and the remaining one-quarter is present dominantly as ilmenite and anatase. The amounts of ilmenite exsolved from hematite grains increase systematically as the hematite content diminishes with decreasing grade of Benson hematite ore and protore; anatase shows a correspondent but less systematic variation. A similar increase in these two titanium minerals accompanies the decrease of hematite content across the gradual transition from hematite ore into the magnetite ore bodies. The inverse relationship between percent hematite and the proportion of exsolved ilmenite in hematite grains is interpreted to be the result of an original rather uniform distribution of titanium in the host gneiss.

Department(s)

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering

Geographic Coverage

New York

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

0361-0128

Document Type

Article - Journal

Document Version

Citation

File Type

text

Language(s)

English

Rights

© 1968 Society of Economic Geologists, Inc., All rights reserved.

Publication Date

01 Apr 1968

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