Geochemistry of Pyrophyllite Deposits in Yangsan-Milyang Areas in Korea

경남 양산 및 밀양지역 납석광상의 지구화학적 연구

Mineralogy and geochemistry of five pyrophyllite deposits in Yangsan-Milyang area such as Cheonbulsan, Dumyong, Dongrae, Youkwang, and Sungjin mines were investigated. Pyrophyllite ores consist mainly of pyrophyllite, sericite, and quartz with some amounts of kaolinite and pyrite. Polytype of pyrophyllite is 2M. Sericite has two polytypes of 1M and 2M1. The ${\delta}^{18}O$ values of pyrophyllite from the Cheonbulsan and the Dumyong mines were measured as 0.23-0.60‰ and 3.40‰, respectively, and those of montmorillonite and kaolinite from the Dumyong mine were in the range of 11.90-12.06‰. This low oxygen isotope composition provides conclusive evidence for hydrothermal activity in the studied area. Contents of major elements are more useful than those of trace elements to discriminate altered zones such as pyrophyllite, sericite, argillic, and andalusite zones from the surrounding rocks. Particularly, contents of $K_2O$, $Na_2O$ and CaO are helpful to identify alteration zones from the discriminant and the cluster analysis of multi-element data.