Articles | Volume 32, issue 6
https://doi.org/10.5194/ejm-32-623-2020
© Author(s) 2020. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/ejm-32-623-2020
© Author(s) 2020. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Contribution to the crystal chemistry of lead-antimony sulfosalts: systematic Pb-versus-Sb crossed substitution in the plagionite homologous series, Pb2N − 1(Pb1 − xSbx)2(Sb1 − xPbx)2Sb6S13+2N
Yves Moëlo
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Institut des Matériaux Jean Rouxel (IMN) – UMR 6502, Université de Nantes, CNRS, 44000 Nantes, France
Cristian Biagioni
Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università di Pisa, Via S.
Maria 53, 56126 Pisa, Italy
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Pyrite crystals with rhombohedral morphology have been known for a long time and were considered up to now as curiosities. The morphological study of well-crystallized, centimeter-sized crystals, often twinned, from the Madan Pb–Zn ore field permitted us to define such a pyrite variety as a pseudo-cubic trigonal derivative of pyrite.
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Dacostaite is a new fluoride–arsenate mineral found in the Sb(Au) deposit of the Cetine di Cotorniano Mine (Tuscany, Italy). It shows a novel crystal structure formed by heteropolyhedral layers and isolated Mg(H2O)6 groups connected by H bonds. The heteropolyhedral layers are similar to those occurring in alunite-supergroup minerals, and this is a further example of the ability of nature to use similar modules in forming the large number of currently known structural arrangements.
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Nannoniite, Al2(OH)5F, is a new mineral species discovered in the Cetine di Cotorniano mine (Tuscany, Italy). Its description was possible through a multi-technique approach, and its crystal structure was solved through three-dimensional electron diffraction, revealing close relations with gibbsite. The partial replacement of (OH) by F induces subtle by detectable structural changes. This study reveals that Al hydroxides could be a source of F in geological environments.
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Zvěstovite-(Fe) is a new, Ag-rich, member of the tetrahedrite group, the most widespread sulfosalts in ore deposits. Its discovery stresses the chemical variability of this mineral group, allowing for a better understanding of the structural plasticity of these compounds, which are able to host a plethora of different elements typical of hydrothermal environments.
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In this work, we refine the crystal structure of childrenite. Additionally, we provide compositional data to substantially extend the published solid-solution series between childrenite and eosphorite, the Fe and Mn endmembers, respectively. We analyze the valence state of iron to avoid erroneous classification of ernstite or potential discovery of "oxychildrenite", a mineral species not yet confirmed to be stable in nature.
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We present the description of new mineral – a Cd-dominant member of the tetrahedrite group, tetrahedrite-(Cd), from the Radětice deposit near Příbram, Czech Republic. All necessary data including crystal structure were successfully determined, and the mineral and its name have been approved by the Commission on New Minerals, Nomenclature and Classification of the International Mineralogical Association (number 2022-115).
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Batoniite is a new mineral species belonging to the Al2O3–SO3–H2O ternary system, first found in the Cetine di Cotorniano Mine (Tuscany, Italy). This hydrated Al sulfate shows a novel crystal structure, characterized by Al octamers, so far reported in only synthetic compounds.
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Dutrowite is the first tourmaline supergroup minerals having Ti as a species-defining chemical constituent. Its finding improves our knowledge on the crystal chemistry of this important mineral group and allows us to achieve a better picture of the mechanisms favouring the incorporation of Ti.
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The paper reports the type description of the new mineral species graulichite-(La). This is a new addition to the dussertite group within the alunite supergroup, and its discovery improves our knowledge on the crystal chemistry of this important supergroup of minerals, having both technological and environmental applications.
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A mineral from Ettringer Bellerberg (Eifel, Germany) proved to be a polytype of the important ceramic-phase mullite termed mullite-2c, with – similar to sillimanite – doubling of the c lattice parameter due to strong (Si,Al) order in tetrahedral diclusters and – similar to mullite – presence of oxygen vacancies and tetrahedral triclusters due to Al / Si > 1 in diclusters. Crystals were characterised using single-crystal XRD, electron microprobe
analysis (EMPA) and spindle-stage optical methods.
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Short summary
The plagionite group is a family of complex sulfides (
lead-antimony sulfosalts) encountered in various Pb-Cu-Zn ore deposits. Analysis of these crystal structures confirms a systematic Pb-versus-Sb substitution in two adjacent cation positions. Such a substitution varies according not only to the Pb / Sb ratio of each member but also, apparently, to the kinetics of crystallization. Re-examination of a Pb-free synthetic derivative permitted its redefinition as a Na-Sb sulfosalt.
The plagionite group is a family of complex sulfides (
lead-antimony sulfosalts) encountered in...