Iron hat

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Iron hat is a mining term for the oxidation zone of an ore vein . Its name is derived from brown iron , which is “the most striking mineral in the weathered zone”. The originally existing fluvial and heavy spar were transferred into an aqueous solution and washed away, so that the quartz is the only gangue left and the precious metals, which are not soluble, have accumulated. In particular, the silver occurs in the weathered zone, partly in solid form and as argentite or acanthite .

This weathering zone of the ore veins extends from the surface of the earth to the cementation zone , which forms a sharp boundary to the deeper, primary vein structure with significantly lower ore contents.

Importance for mining

Since the best parts of the deposit are still pending for days in the Iron Hat, mining began here almost without exception. As long as it was technically manageable, it was dismantled in open-cast mining and then later switched to underground mining. The first mountain cries in the Ore Mountains came to an end when the rich parts of the Iron Hat were eradicated after 100 to 200 years.

literature

  • The Freiberg mining industry - technical monuments and history , Wächtler / Wagenbreth et al., 2nd edition Leipzig 1988 ISBN 3-342-00117-8

Individual evidence

  1. Wächtler / Wagenbreth et al., "Der Freiberg Mining - Technical Monuments and History", 2nd edition Leipzig 1988, p. 12