CHARACTERIZATION OF THE COMPLEX SULFIDE ORE OF SOTIEL (SPAIN) BY SCANNING ELECTRON-MICROSCOPY AND ELECTRON-MICROPROBE ANALYSIS

This study complements a more exhaustive examination on the complex sulfide mineralization of Sotiel, (Spain), by optical microscopy and multispectral digital analysis of images. Electron microscopy analyses were carried out to document specific associations which are difficult to detect with conventional optical microscopy. This study utilizes the application of digital techniques to image processing, in an attempt to define microstructural and microtextural characteristics of the ore, since they play an important role in the subsequent beneficiation operations (i.e., flotation). Scientific and economic information bound to complex metallogenic phenomenology and referred to particular paragenetic scenes was acquired by the study in detail of inclusions of main mineralogical species such as pyrite, sphalerite, galena, chalcopyrite combined with quartzose-carbonate-micaceous gangues and a particular silico-marly ''slate''. Scanning electron microscopy and optical microscopy observations and image analysis were used to characterize species of metallic and non-metallic submicroscopic inclusions.