Pyrargyrite

Pyrargyrite

Minerals of precious metals

Published in Francis P. Gudyanga, Minerals in Africa, 2020

Silver (Ag) exists on the earth’s crust in three forms: as a native element, in alloys such as with gold (electrum), and in ores containing sulphur, arsenic, antimony or chlorine including argentite (Ag2 S), chlorargyrite (AgCl) and pyrargyrite (Ag3 SbS3). Ores of copper, copper-nickel, lead and lead-zinc are the principal sources of silver.

High-Temperature Oxidation of Bismuth- and Antimony-Based Sulfosalts

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Journal Information

Published in Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy Review, 2019

Fiseha Tesfaye, Dmitry Sukhomlinov, Daniel Lindberg, Mykola Moroz, Pekka Taskinen, Leena Hupa

Ag, Pb, As, Bi, and Sb bearing sulfides and sulfosalts are frequently encountered together with the main metal ore minerals. The Ag-Sb-Bi-ternary sulfosalts in these ores such as AgBiS2 and AgSbS2 are also common sources of Ag, which is carefully recovered as a co-product in the base metals (Cu and Pb) production circuits. Samples of hydrothermal vein-type and epithermal Cu-Ag-rich ores including matildite (β-AgBiS2) and schapbachite (α-AgBiS2) are reported to occur in central-south Europe (Damian et al. 2008; Staude et al. 2010; Kopp et al. 2012). Among the Ag-(Sb, Bi, As)-based sulfosalts, miargyrite (AgSbS2) and pyrargyrite (Ag3SbS3) are dominantly associated with high-grade silver ores (Crowley et al. 1997).

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Minerals of precious metals

High-Temperature Oxidation of Bismuth- and Antimony-Based Sulfosalts