Vdc. Daltry et Ah. Wilson, REVIEW OF PLATINUM-GROUP MINERALOGY - COMPOSITIONS AND ELEMENTAL ASSOCIATIONS OF THE PG-MINERALS AND UNIDENTIFIED PGE-PHASES, Mineralogy and petrology, 60(3-4), 1997, pp. 185-229
There are 96 approved PG (platinum group) - mineral species and more t
han 500 unidentified PG-phases on record. In addition, over 20 non-PG-
minerals contain varying concentrations of one or more of the six plat
inum group elements. The PG-minerals commonly have cubic symmetry and
density Values mostly between 10-11 g/cm(3) but within the range 5-22
g/cm(3). Furthermore, there is a tangible positive correlation between
relative density and reflectance data. On a chemical basis, all PG-mi
nerals and PG-phases are non-silicates and a large proportion are sulp
hides, arsenides and tellurides. The elements Sb and Bi are also impor
tant constituents of PG-minerals. This review of the published literat
ure up to April, 1996, provides an evaluation of approximately 1500 pu
blished chemical analyses of PG-minerals which have been accepted by t
he IMA as discrete mineral species and unidentified PG-phases reported
in the literature but not proven to be discrete minerals. Revealed by
the database are a number of chemically-related trends which concern
both the PG-elements themselves and the essential non-PG-element const
ituents. The latter grouping of elements is discussed as a separate pu
blication (Daltry and Wilson, 1997). Pd-dominant compounds are the mos
t abundant of the PG-minerals and PG-phases and the Os-dominant compou
nds are the least abundant. On an inter-PG-element basis, the Ir-, Os-
, Pd-, Pt-, Rh-and Ru-dominant minerals and phases may each contain va
rying concentrations of all the remaining five PG-elements. In this co
ntext, there are discernable sympathetic and antipathetic trends. Pall
adium exhibits the most pronounced antipathy with other PG-elements, w
hereas platinum exhibits the most marked sympathetic tendencies toward
s the other PG-elements.