Electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) of iron oxide minerals from cobalt and nickel bearing limonitic laterite deposits from the CoG3 NERC project (NERC Grant NE/M011488/1)

NERC Grant NE/M011488/1 Electron microprobe analyses of Fe-oxide and Fe-oxyhydroxide phases as elemental percentages per point analysis. The phases were within limonites from Acoje (Philippines), Caldag (Turkey), Nkamouna (Cameroon), Piaui (Brazil) and Shevchenko (Kazakhstan) laterite deposits. The data were acquired during the NERC SoS Minerals CoG3 project between 2015 and 2018 using a Cameca SX100 electron microprobe at the Natural History Museum, London, UK. Point analyses were performed on samples set within epoxy resin blocks, polished and coated with carbon. All elements were analysed using wavelength dispersive X-ray spectrometers. These data were used to identify the Co and Ni bearing host minerals within each natural resource and to assess the amount and variability of these elements within specific Fe-oxide or Fe-oxyhydroxide phases. This may be useful within the mining sector, resource assessment, processing or prospecting, geo- or material scientists and processing engineers / metallurgists. The data were acquired in the Core Research Laboratories, Natural History Museum by the NHM CoG3 team. NERC grant: CoG3: The geology, geometallurgy and geomicrobiology of cobalt resources leading to new product streams