Some quantitative aspects of the major types of ores at the Ržanovo Fe-Ni lateritic deposit, R. Macedonia

The results of detailed laboratory studies of ores from the laterite Fe-Ni deposit Ržanovo, Republic of Macedonia, enabled separation of 9 types of ore and definition of the chemical composition of these ore types and quantitative mineral presence in them. In all of ore types was defined nickel content in the range from 0.34 to 3.1% NiO. However, the most productive types are considered massive magnetite ore, schist magnetite ore, schist hematite and massive hematite ore. Economically the most important is the compact hematite ore with nickel content within the range of 0.93 to 1.49% Ni. The main mineral phases (nickel bearers) in the Ržanovo deposit are: magnetite, hematite, clinochlore, talc, sepiolite, magnesioribekite, lizardite, dolomite, phlogopite and stilpnomelane. Percentage of the most abundant mineral in the ore deposit Ržanovo is hematite with 40.61%, followed by talc with 20.90%, amphibole 13.60%, magnetite with 11, 16% and clinochlore with 10.65%. High iron content by 55% Fe2O3 is characteristic of magnetite and hematite ores, while the high silicon content over 50% SiO2 is characteristic for magnesioribekite, talc, schists etc