Mineralogical and Geochemical Characteristics of Lead-zinc Ore Deposits, and Potential Accompanying Components in the Cho Don - Cho Dien Area, Bac Kan Province, Vietnam
The Pb-Zn mineralization in the Cho Don - Cho Dien ore districts often occurs in 2 types: (1)oxidized ore near to the surface and (2) sulfide ore at deeper section. Based on microscopic observations,sulfide ores can be divided into sphalerite-galena-pyrite and/or galena-sphalerite mineralization types. Toexamine the geochemical features of the Pb-Zn ores, SEM-EDX and ICP-MS analytical methods wereperformed in this study. Previous δ34S data of Pb-Zn concentrates, and sulfide minerals from variousdeposits suggest that the Pb-Zn ore-forming fluids might be related to the felsic-granitic magmaticactivities rather than a genesis of stratiform type. Geochemical data show that the major, minor, and traceelement compositions of lead-zinc ores have wide ranges of variation even in each deposit. The sulfideores are generally higher in economic components than those in the oxidized ores. The positivecorrelations between Pb-Ag can be found in the entire dataset, whereas excellent Zn-Cd correlation canonly be observed from Cho Don ore samples. Apart from the principal components (Pb and Zn), the oresalso contain other accompanying elements that supply high-technological manufacturing industries. Ofwhich As, Cu, Ag, Sb, and Cd could be potential by-products and can be extracted during smelting Pb/Znconcentrate processes, and need more detailed studies for every deposit.