Industrial role of nepouite from Elov supergene nickel deposit, Northern Urals

It has been established that nickel varieties of lizardite with a content of 20.64-51.99% NiO refer to nepouite, which was for the first time determined and described as an important industrial mineral component of ore in the Elov supergene deposit. The data of X-Ray diffraction, complex thermal analysis und SEM of nepouite were obtained. Based on the results of research, this mineral was designated as a serpentine of the lizardite-nepouite series. Mg-nepouite was also determined in this assemblage. NiO content in the nepouite varies from 13.00% to 35.18%, MgO — from 18.29% to 44.61%. The thermal analysis of the serpentine shows that the temperature of the Mg-nepouite destruction is 610-615 °C that is specified to a hydrothermal process. It can be assumed that the serpentines of the lizardite-nepouite series in the weathering crust of the Ural deposits can have both exogenous and low-temperature hydrothermal origin. (paper)