Alteration of platinum-group and base-metal mineral assemblages in ophiolite chromitites from the dobromirtsi massif, Rhodope Mountains (Bulgaria)

The Dobromirtsi Ultramafic Massif, located in the Rhodope Mountains (SE Bulgaria), is a portion of a Paleozoic sub-oceanic mantle affected by polyphase regional metamorphism. This massif contains several small, podiform chromitite bodies which underwent the same metamorphic evolution as their host peridotites. Like other ophiolite chromitites, those found in Dobromirtsi carry abundant platinum-group minerals (PGM) and base-metal minerals (BMM). The PGM consist mainly of Ru-, Os-, and Ir-based PGM (laurite RuS2-erlichmanite OsS2, Os-Ru-Ir alloys, irarsite [IrAsS], Ru-rich pentlandite, and an unknown Ir-sulfide) but minor Rh- and Pd-based PGM (hollingworthite [RhAsS] and a series of unidentified stannides and sulfantimonides) are also present. In contrast, the BMM are dominated by pentlandite (Ni,Fe)9S8, followed by heazlewoodite (Ni3S2), breithauptite (NiSb), maucherite (Ni11As8), godlevskite (Ni7S6), gersdorffite (NiAsS), millerite (NiS), undetermined minerals containing Ni, As and Sb, orcelite (Ni5-XAs2), awaruite (Ni3Fe) and chalcopyrite (CuFeS2). The detailed study of the textural relationships, morphology and composition of the PGM and BMM inclusions indicate the existence of two different PGM-BMM assemblages: (i) a primary or magmatic; and (ii) a secondary related with postmagmatic alteration. The PGM and BMM inclusions in unaltered zones of chromite crystals (mainly laurite-erlichmanite and pentlandite) are considered to be primary magmatic minerals formed under variable temperature (1200-1100°C) and sulfur fugacity (between f2 and -0.5 log fS2).20 page(s