Platinum-group element distribution in the Main Zone and Upper Zone of the Bushveld Complex, South Africa

The platinum-group element (PGE) contents of the upper portions of the Bushveld Complex were investigated with three questions in mind: (a) In natural systems does magnetite concentrate Os, Ir, Ru and Rh (IPGE), as has been observed in experimental systems? (b) Is there a Au–Pd-enriched layer present such as observed in the upper parts of the Skaergaard intrusion? (c) Can changes in metal ratios be used for prospecting for PGE deposits? In the sulfide-poor Main Magnetite Layer of the eastern Bushveld, Ir and Rh are enriched relative to Pt, Pd and Au and this could be because magnetite preferentially concentrated Ir and Rh over Pt, Pd and Au. However, in most other magnetite layers no enrichment was observed. This could be because most magnetite layers contain approximately 1% sulfides and the PGE budget is dominated by the sulfides. These sulfides obscured the effects of magnetite collecting IPGE, because sulfides collect all the PGE and the partition coefficients for the PGE into a sulfide liquid are much greater than the partition coefficient for IPGE into magnetite. The weighted average of the platinum-group elements (PGE) and Au over the 2000 m of sampled stratigraphy is Au 2.1 ppb, Pd 1.7 ppb, Pt 1.7 ppb, Rh 0.18 ppb, Ru<0.5, Ir 0.16 ppb, Os