Mineralogy and Geochemistry of Uranium, Thorium and Rare Earth Elements in Kal-e Kafi Hypogene Copper- Molybdenum Ore Deposit, Anarak District

Authors

Nuclear Fuel Cycle Research School, Nuclear Science and Technology Research Institute, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Kal-e -Kafi copper-molybdenum deposit is one of the ore fields of Anarak metallogenic district, which is located 76 km northeast of Anarak city, in the middle part of Central Iran. Kal-e -Kafi granitoid with upper Eocene age is an oval mass with dimensions of 5.5 x 8 km that penetrated into Precambrian metamorphic rocks, Cretaceous limestone and lower-middle Eocene volcanic rocks. Kal-e -Kafi granite has high-K calc-alkaline affinity and is formed in the tectonic setting of volcanic arc. The main minerals of uranium and thorium include thorium-bearing uraninite, urano-thorite and uranium-bearing thorite. Uraninite and urano-thorite crystals contain up to 10% of thorium and 30% of uranium, respectively. The main minerals of rare elements include monazite, bastnasite, and parisite, in which the amount of cerium, lanthanum and neodymium varies from 18 to 34, 9 to 20, and 9 to 13 percent, respectively. The average amount of uranium, thorium and total rare earth elements in the hypogene zone of Kal-e -Kafi deposit is 7, 18 and 89 ppm, respectively. On the basis of the results of this investigation, hypogene copper, molybdenum and uranium mineralization support intrusive-type uranium deposit (granite-monzonite sub-type) for Kal-e Kafi ore deposit.

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History

  • Receive Date: 10 March 2024
  • Revise Date: 20 May 2024
  • Accept Date: 21 May 2024

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