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Geochemical fingerprints of brannerite (UTi2O6): an integrated study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 February 2020

Marion Turuani ,
Flavien Choulet Open the ORCID record for Flavien Choulet [Opens in a new window] ,
Aurélien Eglinger ,
Philippe Goncalves ,
Julie Machault ,
Julien Mercadier ,
Anne-Magali Seydoux-Guillaume ,
Stephanie Reynaud ,
Fabien Baron  and
Daniel Beaufort
...Show all authors
Marion Turuani
Affiliation:
Chrono-environnement, UMR 6249, CNRS-Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Besançon, France Université de Lyon, UJM-Saint-Etienne, CNRS, UCA, IRD, LMV UMR 6524, Saint-Etienne, France
Flavien Choulet*
Affiliation:
Chrono-environnement, UMR 6249, CNRS-Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Besançon, France
Aurélien Eglinger
Affiliation:
GeoRessources, Université de Lorraine-CNRS-CREGU, 54500Nancy, France
Philippe Goncalves
Affiliation:
Chrono-environnement, UMR 6249, CNRS-Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Besançon, France
Julie Machault
Affiliation:
Chrono-environnement, UMR 6249, CNRS-Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Besançon, France
Julien Mercadier
Affiliation:
GeoRessources, Université de Lorraine-CNRS-CREGU, 54500Nancy, France
Anne-Magali Seydoux-Guillaume
Affiliation:
Université de Lyon, UJM-Saint-Etienne, CNRS, UCA, IRD, LMV UMR 6524, Saint-Etienne, France Université de Lyon, UCBL, ENSL, CNRS, LGL-TPE, 69622Villeurbanne, France
Stephanie Reynaud
Affiliation:
Université de Lyon, UJM-Saint-Etienne, CNRS, Institut d'Optique Graduate School, Laboratoire Hubert Curien UMR 5516, F-42023Saint-Etienne, France
Fabien Baron
Affiliation:
LPG UMR6112 Université de Nantes – CNRS, Nantes, France
Daniel Beaufort
Affiliation:
Université de Poitiers, CNRS UMR 7285 IC2MP, HydrASA Bât. B35, rue Michel Brunet, 86073Poitiers Cedex 9, France
Yann Batonneau
Affiliation:
Université de Poitiers, CNRS UMR 7285 IC2MP, HydrASA Bât. B35, rue Michel Brunet, 86073Poitiers Cedex 9, France
Sophie Gouy
Affiliation:
GET, UMR 5563 CNRS, Université Paul Sabatier, 14 Avenue Edouard Belin, 31400Toulouse, France
Adel Mesbah
Affiliation:
CEA, CNRS, Aix-Marseille Université, UMR 7265 Biologie Végétale et Microbiologie Environnementales, Laboratoire des Interactions Protéine Métal, Saint-Paul-lez-Durance, France
Stéphanie Szenknect
Affiliation:
CEA, CNRS, Aix-Marseille Université, UMR 7265 Biologie Végétale et Microbiologie Environnementales, Laboratoire des Interactions Protéine Métal, Saint-Paul-lez-Durance, France
Nicolas Dacheux
Affiliation:
CEA, CNRS, Aix-Marseille Université, UMR 7265 Biologie Végétale et Microbiologie Environnementales, Laboratoire des Interactions Protéine Métal, Saint-Paul-lez-Durance, France
Virginie Chapon
Affiliation:
CSM, CEA, CNRS, ENSCM, Univ Montpellier, Site de Marcoule - Bât. 426, BP 17171, 30207Bagnols-sur-Cèze, France
Maurice Pagel
Affiliation:
GEOPS, Univ Paris Sud, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, Rue du Belvédère, Bât. 504, OrsayF-91405, France
*
*Author for correspondence: Flavien Choulet, Email: flavien.choulet@univ-fcomte.fr
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Abstract

Brannerite (UTi2O6) is among the major uranium-bearing minerals found in ore deposits, however as it has been long considered as a refractory mineral for leaching it is currently disregarded in ore deposits. Brannerite is found in a variety of geological environments with the most common occurrences being hydrothermal and pegmatitic. On the basis of scanning electron microscopy observations coupled with electron probe micro-analyses and laser ablation inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometer analyses, this study describes the morphological features and the major- and trace-element abundances of brannerite samples from five hydrothermal and five pegmatitic localities across the world. Mineral compositions are also compared with observations from transmission electron microscopy and Raman spectrometry showing that brannerite is amorphous. Significant results include the definition of substitution trends and REE patterns, which are characteristics of either an occurrence or genetic type (hydrothermal and pegmatitic). Hence, in combination, it is possible to obtain reliable constraints for establishing a geochemical classification of brannerite. Inferred fingerprints have direct implications for forensic science and the exploration industry; they also contribute to a better understanding of metallogenic processes and to optimising the extraction of uranium.

Keywords

branneritefingerprintshydrothermalpegmatitemineral chemistry
Type
Article
Information
Mineralogical Magazine , Volume 84 , Issue 2 , April 2020 , pp. 313 - 334
Copyright
Copyright © Mineralogical Society of Great Britain and Ireland 2020

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Footnotes

Associate Editor: Jason Harvey

References

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