Study on the Re-Os Isotope Composition of Graphite from the Lutang Graphite Deposit in Hunan Province

Graphite has relatively high Re and Os contents and is an ideal mineral for Re-Os isotope dating. However, there are few studies on Re-Os dating of graphite. Particularly for the graphite which was formed by deformation of coal beds, the variation in Re-Os isotope system needs further study. The Lutang graphite deposit in Hunan is one of the typical cryptocrystalline graphite deposits in China. The ore-bodies are hosted in coals of the Permian Longtan Formation. In this study, the Re-Os isotopic compositions of the graphite samples from Lutang deposit and the raw coal samples from the peripheral area were analyzed by digesting sample in the Carius tube, direct distilling Os from the Carius tube, extracting Re by acetone and determining Re and Os isotopes by Negtive Thermal Ionization Mass Spectrometry. The results indicate that the Re and Os contents are 0.901-9.794 ng/g and 7.3-189.5 pg/g, respectively. The Re-Os isotope isochron age is 155.6±3.6 Ma, which is consistent with the zircon U-Pb age (153-157 Ma) of StageⅡ medium-grained biotite granite of the Qitianling pluton on the east side of the deposit. It also indicates that the coal seam of the Longtan Formation is subjected to 'baking' by the Qitianling pluton, inducing the hot contact metamorphism and changing the raw coal near the Qitianling pluton to graphite to form a graphite deposit. The comparison of Re and Os content and Os isotopic composition between the graphite, coal and Qitianlign pluton demonstrates that the Re and Os in the graphite are mainly derived from raw coal. According to the initial Os isotope ratio of 0.686±0.032, it can be concluded that minor Os with low ¹⁸⁷Os/¹⁸⁸Os value was absorbed by carbonaceous material during the intrusion of coal seam by the Qitianling pluton.