Nickel and platinum in high-temperature H2O + HCl fluids: Implications for hydrothermal mobilization

The results of this study demonstrate that nickel is readily mobilized by acidic chloridic hydrothermal fluids, but platinum remains practically immobile in such fluids at any HCl concentration that is conceivable to occur in nature. Therefore, the enrichment of Pt relative to Ni in footwall-type deposits in the Sudbury District and the growth of large sperrylite crystals are likely related to magmatic processes. Furthermore, the experiments point to the importance of redox reactions for the mobilization and precipitation of arsenides and suggest that arsenate species are more stable in hydrothermal fluids than previously thought.