Facts about Platinum mineralization in Egypt:

 

  1. Chromite in the samples forms commonly 0.5% up to 5% by weight, and may be rimmed by magnetite or variably altered to zoned ferrichromite depending on metamorphic grade and degree of alteration of olivine.
  2. 30% of the collected samples contain platinoids and base metal sulfides in ophiolitic sequence and in layered intrusions.
  3. Heavy points were given to both kind of rocks although the economic platinum deposits are confined to layered intrusions due to the deposit size, i.e. the spatial extension of the rocks containing platinum in layered intrusions is much more than those related to the chromitites, nevertheless metasediments in some localities are rich (>12 ppm) in PGE e.g. Abu Swayel in Allaqi area.
  4. The highest platinum + palladim tenor was displayed by a sample which contained 12020 ppb. The Pt/Pd ratios varied greatly within the same locality as no systematic relations between the samples existed.
  5. Chromite was not always present in all samples of the layered intrusions containing PGM.
  6. The base metal sulphides (BMS) should always be there in rocks in order to find the platinoids, but not all BMS contained PGM.
  7. In the unserpentinized dunites the sulfide was dominantly pentlandite and millerite (with some alteration to heazlewoodite and pyrrhotite) Mineralized dunites in slighlty higher metamorphic grade areas contain appreciable quantities of pyrrhotite in addition to pentlandite.
  8. At ElGerf, platinoid-bearing anorthositic rocks, taper and pinch at shallow depth. The pipe-shaped fayalitic dunite contain platinoids. These pipes might have been formed by iron and manganese -rich metasomatic replacement.
  9. Platinum appears generally in an iron-magnesium rich environment (fayalitic dunites, peridotites, chromites) in contrast to palladium which was concentrated in a sulfur-rich environment. Microscopically, it has been clearly seen that the platinoids exhibit a strong affinity for covalent compounds like arsenic, bismuth, tellurium and sulfur and also they formed complexed alloys with lead, nickel, copper, tin, and other elements. Antimonial and selenide compounds of the platinoids (forming separate alloys) apparently are related to low temperature ores.
  10. The platinum in the studied areas from latitude 22° to 25° occur as independent minerals and alloys. Isomorphic substitution had not been seen .