Magnetic Mineralogy of Nb-bearing Carbonatites from Oldoinyo Dili (Tanzania)

Sammanfattning: Niobium (Nb) and Rare Earth Elements (REE’s) have in recent years received considerable attention because of their importance to the modern technical industry, and more specifically the enhanced sustainability that comes with them. The main source for Nb and REE’s on Earth are carbonatites and associated alkaline silicate rocks. This report examines the magnetic properties of rocks from the Oldoinyo Dili carbonatite complex in northern Tanzania. Previous workers have suggested a link between the Fe-bearing mineralogy and the formation of Nb-mineralizations at Oldoinyo Dili. This hypothesis is further examined in this report by combining detailed petrographic observations and withnew measurements of magnetic susceptibility. The aim is to see if any correlation exists between occurrence of Nb-mineralizations and the types of Fe-minerals present at Oldoinyo Dili. Based on the magnetic susceptibility measurements, at least two different species of Fe-minerals arefound in the examined samples. These are characterized by different magnetic trends during heating/cooling and also by their separate Curie temperatures (Tc). In combination with the petrographic observations these minerals are interpreted to be magnetite (Fe2O4) with Tc ~580°C, and a mineral that most likely represents a solid solution between ilmenite (FeTiO3) and hematite (Fe2O3) with Tc ~300°C. Here, no clear link between the type of opaque mineral(s) present and the total Nb content of the carbonatites can be conclusively determined based on the petrography and the magnetic measurements alone. Although the results of this report provide an important first step towards understanding the relationship between Nb-mineralizations and the magnetic mineralogy at Oldoinyo Dili, more detailed analyses of the mineral chemistry is a necessity to fully understand their complex relations and the specific conditions under which they formed.