A variation of magnetite with particularly good parting on ?? 111 ?? (referred to as magnetite type II hereunder) has been discovered in the contact metasomatic magnetite deposit of the Kamaishi Mine.
A comparative study of this type of magnetite with the hitherto well-known massive magnetite (referred to as magnetite type I hereunder) is undertaken and has arrived at the following conclusions.
(1) Whereas the magnetite type I accompanies the earlier skarn minerals, such as diopside, hedenbergite, andradite and grossularite, magnetite type II occurred together with the later skarn minerals, such as epidote, calcite and quartz.
(2) The two types of the magnetites are indistinguishable neither by reflection microscope nor by micro-chemical tests.
(3) They both show the same Debye-Scherre ?? lines in their X-ray powder photographs (Fig. 1).
(4) Their chemical compositions are very similar, but magnetite type II contains a somewhat larger percentage of Fe
2O
3 than type I (Table 1).
(5) In magnetic characteristics, the coercive force is larger by magnetite type II than by type I, while the magnetic saturation value is smaller by type II than by type I (Table 2).
(6) Magnetite type II is more liable to oxidation than type I. This fact has been confirmed by the results of analysis of FeO/Fe
2O
3 obtained by heating magnetites of both types to various temperatures in a current of nitrogen gas with a low partial pressure of oxygen.
From the above facts, it may be concluded that magnetite II represents a fluctuation of ordinary magnetite displaced to maghemite side. It is presumed that this Magnetite type II of later crystalization has probably been crystallizcd under an atmosphere more approximating a condition favorable for oxidation.
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