Petrological, mineralogical and geochemical constraints of PGE-Ni-Cu mineralization in the platreef and implications for mineral exploration

金属的持续供应对经济发展和增长至关重要，因为金属是 工业化社会的支柱。该项目旨在提高我们对起源的理解， 主要含有铂（Pt）、钯（Pd）和金（Au）但也含有 显著量的铑（Rh）、镍（Ni）和铜（Cu）。这些金属具有广泛的 应用.例如，除了作为投资工具的价值外，Pt和Pd是必不可少的元素 在催化过程中，以及在包括汽车在内的多个行业对污染控制的高需求中， 行业 该项目提供了一个独特的机会，详细描述已知最大的Pt，Pd，Au之一 世界各地的矿化：Platreef（布什维尔德火成杂岩，南非）。本项目将处理 两个基本问题：（a）哪些过程控制了空间分布和变化， 矿化厚度？; (b)什么样的特征可以作为“探索矢量”， 确定已知矿化的范围，并在其他地方找到类似的矿床？(in南非和 包括加拿大未开发的北部）。这些问题的答案将使矿产勘探 更有效率、成本效益更高，更能成功地找到新的矿藏。 本项目围绕培养高素质人才和若干研究生（4 硕士和2博士）将直接参与该项目。除了工业合作伙伴，该项目是 由两个加拿大倡议支持：伊丽莎白二世女王钻禧奖学金计划和 国际发展研究中心。NSERC的支持有助于实现这两个目标 加拿大机构在促进研究和与发展中国家的合作以及 英联邦国家大学的技术能力。

A continuous supply of metals is essential for economic development and growth because metals are the backbone of industrialized societies. This project aims to improve our understanding of the genesis and distribution of deposits containing primarily platinum (Pt), palladium (Pd), and gold (Au) but also containing significant amounts of rhodium (Rh), nickel (Ni), and copper (Cu). These metals have a wide range of applications. For example, in addition to their value as investment instruments, Pt and Pd are essential elements in catalytic processes and in high demand for pollution control in several sectors, including the automotive industry. The project provides a unique opportunity to characterize, in detail, one of the largest known Pt, Pd, Au mineralizations worldwide: the Platreef (Bushveld Igneous Complex, South Africa). The project will address two fundamental questions: (a) which processes controlled the spatial distribution and variations in the thickness of the mineralization?; (b) what particular characteristics can be used as 'exploration vectors' to better define the extent of known mineralization and find similar deposits elsewhere? (in South Africa and worldwide, including Canada's unexplored north). Answers to these questions will make mineral exploration more efficient, cost-effective, and more successful in finding new deposits. The project is designed around the training of highly-qualified personnel and several graduate students (4 MSc and 2 PhD) will be directly involved in the project. In addition to the industrial partner, the project is supported by two Canadian initiatives: the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Scholarship Program and the International Development Research Centre (IDRC). NSERC support contributes to fulfil the goals of the two Canadian institutions in fostering research and collaboration with developing countries and building technological capacity in universities of Commonwealth countries.