FER-1 to FER-4 Iron-Formation Samples

FER-1 was obtained from a bed of magnetite-quartz iron-formation at Austin Brook near Bathurst, New Brunswick. These minerals comprise 55% and 30%, respectively, of the volume of the sample. The hematite content is about 3%.

FER-2 is from an iron-formation bed occurring in greywacke at the north pit of the Griffith Mine at Bruce Lake, Ontario. Magnetite makes up about 25% of the sample by volume. Amphibole and quartz are the major gangue constituents.

FER-3 and FER-4 are from the Sherman Mine property at Temagami, Ontario. FER-3 is from the west pit in the north limb of the Tetapaga incline containing metavolcanic and pyroclastic rocks. Quartz is the most abundant mineral present. Hematite occurs as dusty inclusions in the quartz, but as micro-laminae in jasper layers. FER-4 was taken in the south pit from a cherty magnetite iron-formation containing chloritic tuff. The mineral assemblage of FER-4 is similar to that of FER-3, but the proportions of the minerals differ.

Provisional Values
Constituent wt %
FER-1 FER-2 FER-3 FER-4
SiO2 16.95 49.21 53.61 50.07
TiO2 0.03 0.18 0.01 0.07
Al2O3 0.52 5.16 0.09 1.70
Fe2O3 49.88 * 22.50 29.40 * 22.70
FeO 23.34 * 15.24 13.63 * 15.54
MnO 0.22 0.12 0.08 0.19
MgO 0.30 2.10 1.02 1.41
CaO 3.29 2.17 0.84 2.23
Na2O 0.03 0.51 0.03 0.05
K2O 0.02 1.33 0.03 0.29
H2O+ 0.41 0.98 0.20 * 0.72
CO2 1.39 0.07 1.20 4.86
P2O5 2.39 0.27 0.07 0.13
F 0.06 * 0.04 * 0.01 * 0.02 *
S 0.26 0.17 0.03 * 0.11
Fe2O3T 75.86 39.21 44.50 39.92

* Values in asterisks are informational.

Provisional Values
Constituent µg/g
FER-1 FER-2 FER-3 FER-4
As 6 * 2 * 1 * 3.6 *
B 61 * 2 *
Ba 1000 240 11 43
Be 1.5 * 3 * 1 *
Bi 6 *
Cd 3 *
Cl 100 * 100 *
Co 12 7 2 * 2 *
Cr 7 47 6 9
Cs 5 * 0.8 *
Cu 100 45 6 * 13
Ge 3 * 6 * 4 * 5 *
Hg 0.02 *
La 12 * 14 * 2 * 8 *
Li 5 * 22 7
Lu 0.2 *
Mo 3 *
Ni 8 21 10 6 *
Pb 5200 11 * 9 * 8 *
Rb 66 * 16 *
Sb 5 * 0.7 * 1 * 3 *
Sc 0.8 * 6 * 1.5 *
Sm 1.7 * 2.6 * 0.6 * 2.2 *
Sn 1 *
Sr 90 58 31 62
Th 3 *
V 100 * 37 * 8 * 11 *
Y 15 * 6 * 8 *
Yb 1 * 1.3 * 0.2 * 0.5 *
Zn 3500 43 36 27
Zr 13 * 39 2 * 18 *

* Values in asterisks are informational.

FER-1, FER-2, FER-3, and FER-4 were prepared at CANMET and were characterized by the Geological Survey of Canada; they are available individually.

A copy of Geological Survey of Canada Paper 83-19, "FER-1, FER-2, FER-3, and FER-4: Four Canadian iron-formation samples prepared for use as reference materials", will be forwarded with each order.

CCRMP, CANMET Mining and
Mineral Sciences Laboratories
555 Booth Street, Ottawa
Ontario, Canada
K1A 0G1

Telephone: (613) 995-4738
Facsimile: (613) 943-0573
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