| Title | Brucite: uses, exploration guidelines and selected grass-root exploration targets |
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| Author | Simandl, G L; Paradis, S ; Irvine, M |
| Source | Canadian Institute of Mining Bulletin vol. 101, no. 1106, 2008, 7 pages  Open Access |
| Links | Online - En ligne
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| Image |  |
| Year | 2008 |
| Alt Series | Earth Sciences Sector, Contribution Series 20100108 |
| Document | serial |
| Lang. | English |
| Media | paper; on-line; digital |
| Province | British Columbia |
| NTS | 92E/15; 92E/16; 92F/04; 92K/06; 92K/07; 104K; 104M; 104N |
| Area | Vancouver Island; Kennedy Lake; West Redonda Island; Tlupana Arm; Atlin Road; Hurricane Creek |
| Lat/Long WENS | -127.0000 -125.0000 50.2500 48.7500 |
| Lat/Long WENS | -136.0000 -132.0000 60.0000 58.0000 |
| Subjects | industrial minerals; economic geology; mineral deposits; mineral occurrences; mineralization; brucite; commodities; metals; magnesium; magnesia |
| Illustrations | location maps; photographs; diagrams; tables |
| Released | 2008 01 01 |
| Abstract | Brucite is a natural magnesium hydroxide [Mg(OH)2] particularly sought after for its flame-retardant properties, as a raw mineral for the production of caustic or dead-burned magnesia, a variety of
other industrial mineral uses, and as a high-grade ore mineral for the production of magnesium metal. Brucite has an advantage over magnesium carbonates, such as magnesite and dolomite, because it does not contain CO2 in its crystal structure.
Consequently, there is no CO2 released during the calcining or other processing of this mineral except from fuel combustion. This advantage may become even more important in the future as CO2 is considered the main greenhouse gas contributing to
global warming. Carbonate-hosted contact metamorphic/metasomatic (skarn-type) brucite deposits have the best economic potential. The sequence of calcosilicate metamorphic index minerals starting from unmetamorphosed magnesium-bearing carbonate
(dolostone or magnesite-bearing rock) to igneous intrusion contact consists of talc, tremolite, forsterite and brucite/periclase. This sequence can be used to focus exploration efforts. The current worldwide brucite market is probably less than
100,000 t/y but it is increasing rapidly. High-grade brucite deposits are expected to become hot exploration targets over the next few years. |
| GEOSCAN ID | 285982 |
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