We report the first finding of berthierine and chamosite in Mexico. They occur in the iron-ore deposit of Peña Colorada, Colima. Their genetic characteristics show two different mineralization events associated mainly to the magnetite ore. Berthierine is an Fe-rich and Mg-low 1:1 layer phyllosilicate of hydrothermal sedimentary origin. Its structure is 7Å, d hkl [1 0 0] basal spacing and low degree structural ordering. The phyllosilicate has been identified by a lack of 14Å basal reflection on X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns. These data were supported by High Resolution Transmision Electron Microscopy (HRTEM) images that show thick packets of berthierine in well defined parallel plates. From the analysis of Fast Fourier Transform (FFT), we found around [1 0 0] reflections of berhierine 7.12Å and corresponding angles of hexagonal crystalline structure. Berthierine has a microcrystalline structure, dark green color, and high refraction index (1.64 to 1.65). Birefringence is low, near 0.007 to null and it is associated to nanoparticles (<15 nm) and microparticles of magnetite (<25 μm), fine grain siderite, and organic matter. Its texture is intergranular-interstratified with colloform banding. The chamosite Mg-rich is of hydrothermal epigenetic origin affected by low-degree metamorphism. It is an Fe-rich 2:1 layer silicate, with basal space of 14Å, d hkl [0 0 1]. The chamosite occurs as lamellar in sizes ranging from 50 to 150 μm. It has intense green color and refraction index from 1.64 to 1.65. The birefringence is near 0.008, with biaxial (-) orientation and a 2V small. It is associated mainly to sericite, epidote, clay, feldspar, and magnetite. Chamosite is emplaced in open spaces filling and linings. Mössbauer spectra of berthierine and chamosite are similar. They show the typical spectra of paramagnetic substances, with two well defined unfoldings corresponding to the oxidation state of Fe +2 and Fe +3 . Chemical composition of both minerals was obtained by an electron probe X-ray micro-analyzer (EPMA). The radio Fe+Mg+Mn vs Si and Al show similar chemical compositions and different XRD patterns in the crystalline structure provoked by the environmental conditions of emplacement. A hydrothermal environment was predominant, occurring before, during, and after the magnetite mineralization. The identification of magnetite nanoparticles supports the hypothesis of a marine environment, specifically exhalative sedimentary (SEDEX) for the berthierine.

We report on the discovery of magnetite nanoparticles ranging in size from 2 to 14 nm in the mineralized zones of the Peña Colorada iron-ore deposit, southern Mexico. Micrometric scale magnetite was magnetically reduced and divided into distinct size ranges: 85-56 μm, 56-30 μm, 30-22 μm, 22-15 μm, 15-10 μm, 10-7 μm and 7-2 μm. Nanometric-scale magnetite in the size range 2-14 nm was identified. The magnetite was characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmitted and reflected light microscope, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high angle annular dark field, Mössbauer spectroscopy and its magnetic properties. Crystallographic identification of nanostructures was performed using high-resolution TEM. Characteristic changes were observed when the particles make the size transition from micro-to nanometric sizes, as follows: (1) frequency-dependent magnetic susceptibility percentage (χ FD %) measurements show high values (13%) for the 2-14 nm fractions attributed to dominant fractions of superparamagnetic particles; (2) variations of χ FD % < 4.5% in fractions of 56-0.2 μm occur in association with the presence of microparticles formed by magnetite aggregates of nanoparticles (<15 nm) embedded in berthierine; (3) Mössbauer spectroscopy results identified a superparamagnetic fraction; (4) nanometric and 0.2-7 μm grain size magnetite particles require a magnetic field up to 152 mT to reach saturation during the isothermal remanent magnetization experiment; (5) coercivity and remanent magnetization of the magnetite increase when the particle size decreases, probably due to parallel coupling effects; (6) twomagnetic susceptibility versus temperature experiments of the same 2-14 nm sample show that the reversibility during the second heating is due to the formation of new magnetite nanoparticles and growth of those already present during the first heating process.

This study of the Cajati deposit provides evidence that the ore was neither purely hydrothermal, nor volcanic in origin, as previous workers have proposed. The ores were formed from magnetite-rich magmas, hydrothermally altered and intruded at an indicated crustal depth in excess of 500 m. The mineralogical and textural association between magnetite and magnesioferrite in the carbonatite, and between the titanomagnetite and magnesioferriteTi mineralization in the pyroxenite of hedenbergite, seems to be analog mineralizations strongly related to the ionic substitution of Fe 2+ by Mg. Relatively high Q ratios (≥5) for Jacupirangite-pyroxenite may indicate a thermo remanent magnetization (TRM) by the ore during post-metamorphic cooling, however it can also be developed from chemical remanent magnetization (CRM). Vector plots for the pyroxenite samples show reasonably linear and stable magnetic components. The intensity decay curves show that only two components of magnetizations are likely present. Continuous susceptibility measurements with increasing temperature show that the main magnetic phase seems to be magnetite. Maghemite is probably produced during the cooling process. Susceptibility recorded from low temperature (liquid nitrogen (−196 • C)) to room temperature produces typical curves, indicating Verwey transition of magnetite. Hysteresis parameters point out that nearly all values fall in a novel region of the Day plot, parallel to but below magnetite SD + MD mixing curves.

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