Blue sapphire of gem quality was recently discovered in spinel–chlorite–muscovite rock within meta-ultramafites near the Ilmenogorsky alkaline complex in the Ilmen Mountains of the South Urals. More than 20 minerals were found in the assemblage with the blue sapphire. These sapphire-bearing rocks are enriched in LREE and depleted in HREE (with the negative Eu anomalies) with REE distribution similar to those in miascites (nepheline syenite) of the Ilmenogorsky alkaline complex. ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios in the sapphire-bearing rocks varied from 0.7088 ± 0.000004 (2σ) to 0.7106 ± 0.000006 (2σ): epsilon notation εNd is −7.8. The Rb-Sr isochrone age of 289 ± 9 Ma was yielded for the sapphire-bearing rocks and associated muscovite. The blue sapphires are translucent to transparent and they have substantial colorless zones. They occur in a matrix of clinochlore-muscovite as concentric aggregates within spinel-gahnite coronas. Laser Ablation-Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) analyses showed values with trace elements typical for “metamorphic” blue sapphires, with Ga/Mg < 2.7, Fe/Mg < 74, Cr/Ga > 1.5 (when Cr is detectable), and Fe/Ti < 9. Sapphires overlap “metasomatic” at “sapphires in alkali basalts” field on the FeO–Cr₂O₃–MgO–V₂O₃ versus FeO + TiO₂ + Ga₂O₃ discriminant diagram. The sapphires formed together with the spinel-chlorite-muscovite rock during metasomatism at a contact of orthopyroxenites. Metasomatic fluids were enriched with Al, HSFE, and LILE and genetically linked to the miascite intrusions of Ilmenogorsky complex. The temperature required for the formation of sapphire–spinel–chlorite–muscovite rock was 700–750 °C and a pressure of 1.8–3.5 kbar.

The changes in the phase composition and the mechanical and magnetic properties resulting from the nanocrystallization of an Fe_80.2P_17.1Mo_2.7 amorphous alloy activated by heat or fast photon (xenon lamp radiation) treatment are compared using X-ray diffraction, Mössbauer spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and hardness measurements. The initial stages of crystallization of the amorphous alloy have been detected.

The study is devoted to the choice of the optimum composition of a soft magnetic amorphous Fe–P–Sialloy, which is comparable with the (Fe₇₇Si₁₃B₇Nb_2.1Cu_0.9) FINEMET alloy in corrosion resistance and is passivated at lower critical currents in a 0.1 M Na₂SO₄ solution. The alloy can be prepared from naturally alloyed ferrophosphorus.

This data on the age of metamorphism of rocks of the Yelabuga zone and the geochronological data on detrital zircon from paragneisses of the same zone are presented, and their correlation...

Successive differentiates of acid rocks from the Salmi batholith are represented by the following series: biotite–amphibole rapakivi granite, biotite

This paper examines the electrochemical behavior and structural changes of an Fe-P-V alloy in a 0.1 M Na₂SO₄ solution modeling a SO₂-contaminated humid atmosphere.