Description and crystal structure of a new mineral, edwardsite, Cu3Cd2(SO4)2(OH)6·4H2O, from Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia

2010 ◽  
Vol 74 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-53 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Elliott ◽  
J. Brugger ◽  
T. Caradoc-Davies

AbstractEdwardsite, Cu3Cd2(SO4)2(OH)6·4H2O, is a new mineral from the Block 14 Opencut, Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia. It occurs as druses of tabular and bladed crystals up to 0.06 mm in size, associated with niedermayrite and christelite. Edwardsite is pale blue, transparent with vitreous lustre and has excellent cleavage parallel to {100}. Density was not measured but the calculated density, from the empirical formula, is 3.53 g cm–3 and the Mohs hardness is ∼3. Optically, it is biaxial negative with α ∼ 1.74, β = 1.762(4), γ ∼ 1.77 and 2Vcalc. ∼ +62°. The optical orientation is X = b, Y ∼ a, Z ∼ c. Electron microprobe analysis gave (wt.%): CdO 32.43, CuO 28.06, ZnO 2.26, FeO 0.08, SO3 20.35, H2Ocalc. (from crystal-structure analysis) 14.14, totalling 99.32. The empirical formula, calculated on the basis of 18 oxygen atoms is Cu2.77Cd1.98Zn0.22Fe0.01(SO4)2.00(OH)5.95·4.06H2O. Edwardsite is monoclinic, space group P21/c, with a = 10.863(2) Å, b = 13.129(3) Å, c = 11.169(2) Å, β = 113.04(3)°, V = 1465.9(5) Å3 (single-crystal data) and Z = 4. The eight strongest lines in the powder diffraction pattern are [d (Å), (I/I0), (hkl)]: 9.991, (90), (100); 5.001, (90), (200, 21); 4.591, (45), (20); 3.332, (60), (300, 032); 3.005, (30), (03); 2.824, (40), (2); 2.769, (55), (20, 042, 10); 2.670, (45), (2). The crystal structure was determined by direct methods and refined to R1 = 3.21% using 1904 observed reflections with Fo > 4σ(Fo) collected using synchrotron X-ray radiation (λ = 0.773418 Å). The structure is based on infinite sheets of edge-sharing Cuϕ6 (ϕ: O2–, OH) octahedra and Cdϕ7 (ϕ: O2–, H2O) polyhedra parallel to (100). The sheets are decorated on both sides by corner-sharing (SO4) tetrahedra, which also corner-link to isolated Cdϕ6 octahedra, thus connecting adjacent sheets. Moderate-strong to weak hydrogen bonding provides additional linkage between sheets.

2009 ◽  
Vol 73 (5) ◽  
pp. 723-735 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Elliott ◽  
P. Turner ◽  
P. Jensen ◽  
U. Kolitsch ◽  
A. Pring

AbstractNyholmite, Cd3Zn2(AsO3OH)2(AsO4)2·4H2O, from the Block 14 Opencut, Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia, is a new Cd-Zn arsenate species, isostructural with the minerals of the hureaulite group. The mineral occurs in a quartz-garnet-arsenopyrite matrix as white globules, tufted aggregates of fibrous crystals and radiating hemispheres of thin, colourless, bladed crystals. Associated minerals are goldquarryite, lavendulan-sampleite, scorodite-strengite and gypsum. Individual crystals are up to 0.2 mm in length and 0.05 mm across. The mineral is transparent to translucent with a vitreous lustre. It is brittle with an uneven fracture and a white streak. The Mohs hardness is 3–3.5 and the calculated density is 4.23 g cm–3 for the empirical formula. Electron microprobe analyses yielded CdO 34.58, ZnO 9.72, MnO 3.59, CuO 3.39, Al2O3 0.20, CaO 0.16, PbO 0.37, As2O5 34.55, P2O5 6.29 totalling 92.85 wt.%. The empirical formula, based on 20 oxygen atoms, is Ca0.03Pb0.02 Cd2.80Al0.04Zn1.24-Cu0.44Mn0.53[(AsO4)3.13(PO4)0.92]Σ4.05H1.91·3.79H2O. Nyholmite is monoclinic, C2/c, a = 18.062(4) Å, b = 9.341(2) Å, c = 9.844(2) Å, β = 96.17(3)°, V = 1651.2(6) Å3 (single-crystal data, at 123 K). The six strongest lines in the X-ray powder diffraction pattern are [d(Å),I,(hkl)]: 8.985,30,(200); 8.283,85,(110); 6.169,25,(111); 4.878,25,(002); 3.234,100,(2, 420); 3.079,65,(222, 511); 2.976’45’(113). The crystal structure was solved by Patterson methods and refined using 2045 observed reflections to R1(F) = 3.73%. The structure is characterized by a kinked, five-membered chain of edge-sharing Mφ6 (φ = unspecified anion) octahedra, or pentamer, that extends in the a direction. The pentamers link by sharing corners to form a sheet in the (001) plane. Pentamers are also linked, via corner-sharing, by (As,P)O4 groups forming thick slabs in the (001) plane. The slabs link in the c direction by cornersharing between octahedra and tetrahedra to form a dense heteropolyhedral framework. Moderate to weak hydrogen-bonding provides additional linkage between the slabs.


2004 ◽  
Vol 68 (2) ◽  
pp. 231-240 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. C. Roberts ◽  
P. C. Burns ◽  
R. A. Gault ◽  
A. J. Criddle ◽  
M. N. Feinglos

AbstractPetewilliamsite, ideally (Ni,Co)30(As2O7)15, monoclinic, space group C2, a = 33.256(5), b = 8.482(1), c = 14.191(2) Å, ß = 104.145(3)°, V = 3881.6(11) Å3, a:b:c = 3.9209:1:1.6731, Z = 2, is a new mineral found on a single nickeline-veined quartz specimen from Johanngeorgenstadt, Saxony, Germany. The mineral possesses a pronounced subcell-supercell: a (subcell) = 1/5 a (supercell); b (subcell) = b (supercell); c (subcell) = 1/3 c (supercell), and the strongest six lines of the X-ray powder-diffraction pattern are [d in Å (I) (hkl)]: 4.235(30)(020) ; 3.118(100)(513, 023); 3.005(60); 2.567(50); 1.637(50)(536 ); 1.507(30b)(553, ). It occurs predominantly as scattered patches of mm-sized aggregates which are intimately associated with varicoloured xanthiosite; additional associations include bunsenite, aerugite, rooseveltite, native bismuth, paganoite and two undefined arsenates. Subhedral equant crystals with rounded faces are intimately intergrown in 1 mm-sized aggregates and individual grains do not exceed 0.5 mm in maximum diameter. The average crystal size is variable from 20 μm to 0.3 mm. The colour varies from dark violet-red to dark brownish-red and the streak is pale reddish-brown to pale purplish-brown. Crystals are translucent, brittle, vitreous, and do not fluoresce under ultraviolet light. The mineral shows neither twinning nor cleavage, has an uneven fracture, and the calculated density (for the empirical formula) is 4.904 g/cm3. Electron-microprobe analyses gave NiO 19.45, CoO 18.39, CuO 3.40, CaO 0.17, FeO 0.04, As2O5 60.32, total 101.77 wt.%. The empirical formula, derived from crystal-structure analysis and electron-microprobe analyses, is (Ni14.662+Co13.822+Cu2.412+Ca0.17Fe0.032+)Σ31.09(As1.975+O7)15, based on O = 105 atoms per formula unit (a.p.f.u.). In reflected plane-polarized light in air, petewilliamsite is dark grey with orange to spectral (multicoloured) internal reflections and no obvious bireflectance, anisotropy or pleochroism. Measured reflectance values in air are tabulated; the index of refraction calculated at 589 nm is 1.88. The mineral name honours Professor Peter (‘Pete’) Allan Williams of the University of Western Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, for his contributions to the study of secondary minerals.The crystal structure of petewilliamsite has been solved by direct methods and refined on the basis of F2 using 9212 unique reflections measured with Mo-Kα X-radiation on a diffractometer equipped with a CCDbased detector. The final R1 was 7.68%, calculated for 1273 observed reflections. The structure contains 15 symmetrically distinct As5+ cations, each of which is tetrahedrally coordinated by four O atoms, and pairs of these AsO4 tetrahedra share a vertex which results in As2O7 pyroarsenate groups that are in layers parallel to (010). The structure also has 16 distinct transition-metal M (M: Ni,Co) sites of which there are one tetrahedral, four square bipyramidal, and 11 octahedral arrangements. Adjacent pyroarsenate groups are linked through bonds to M cations. The structure of petewilliamsite is not closely related to other naturally occurring arsenates and it is the first pyroarsenate mineral.


2009 ◽  
Vol 73 (5) ◽  
pp. 817-824 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Oberti ◽  
F. Cámaraite ◽  
F. C. Hawthorne ◽  
N. A. Ball

AbstractFluoro-aluminoleakeite, ideally , is a new mineral of the amphibole group from Norra Kärr, Sweden (IMA-CNMMNC 2009-012). It occurs in a proterozoic alkaline intrusion that mainly comprises a fine-grained schistose agpaitic nepheline-syenite (grennaite). Fluoro- aluminoleakeite occurs as isolated prismatic crystals 0.10–2 mm long in a syenitic matrix. Crystals are light greenish-blue with a greenish-blue streak. It is brittle, has a Mohs hardness of 6 and a splintery fracture; it is non-fluorescent with perfect {110} cleavage, no observable parting, and has a calculated density of 3.14 g cm–3. In plane-polarized light, it is pleochroic, X = pale green, Y = dark green, Z = pale green; X ^ a = 62.9° (in β obtuse), Y || b. Fluoro-aluminoleakeite is biaxial negative, α = 1.632(1), β = 1.638(1), γ = 1.643(1); 2Vobs. = 98.0(4)°, 2Vcalc. = 95.5°.MFluoro-aluminoleakeite is monoclinic, space group C2/m, a = 9.7043(5) Å, b = 17.7341(8) Å, c = 5.2833(3) Å, β = 104.067(4)°, V = 882.0(2) Å3, Z = 2. The eight strongest X-ray diffraction lines in the powder-diffraction pattern are [d in Å, (I), (hkl)]: 2.687, (100), (31, 151); 4.435, (80), (021, 040); 3.377, (80), (131); 2.527, (60), (02); 8.342, (50), (110); 3.096, (40), (310); 2.259, (40), (71, 12) and 2.557, (30), (002, 061). Analysis, by a combination of electron microprobe and crystal-structure refinement, gives SiO2 58.61, Al2O3 7.06, TiO2 0.32, FeO 3.27, Fe2O3 6.05, MgO 8.61, MnO 0.73, ZnO 0.43, CaO 0.05, Na2O 9.90, K2O 2.43, Li2O 1.62, F 3.37, H2Ocalc. 0.50, sum 101.08 wt.%. The formula unit, calculated on the basis of 24 (O,OH,F,Cl) p.f.u. with (OH) + F = 2 a.p.f.u., is A(Na0.65 O22W(F1.47OH0.53)Σ=2.00. Crystal-structure analysis shows CLi to be completely ordered at the M(3) site, and provided reliable site populations. Fluoro-aluminoleakeite is related to the end-member leakeite, , by the substitutions CFe3+ → CAl and WF → W(OH).


2008 ◽  
Vol 93 (5-6) ◽  
pp. 910-917 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Elliott ◽  
J. Brugger ◽  
A. Pring ◽  
M. L. Cole ◽  
A. C. Willis ◽  
...  

1988 ◽  
Vol 52 (365) ◽  
pp. 237-240 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. D. Birch ◽  
E. A. J. Burke ◽  
V. J. Wall ◽  
M. A. Etheridge

AbstractEcandrewsite, the zinc analogue of ilmenite, is a new mineral which was first described from the Broken Hill lode in 1970 and discovered subsequently in ores from Little Broken Hill (New South Wales) and the San Valentin Mine, Spain. The name ‘ecandrewsite’ was used in a partial description of the mineral in ‘Minerals of Broken Hill’ (1982), thereby establishing the Little Broken Hill locality, specifically the Melbourne Rockwell Mine, as the type locality. Microprobe analysis of ecandrewsite from the type locality gave ZnO 30.42 (wt.%), FeO (total Fe) 11.37, MnO 7.64, TiO2 50.12, total 99.6%, yielding an empirical formula of (Zn0.59Fe0.24Mn0.17)1.00Ti0.99O3 based on 3 oxygen atoms. All compositions from Little Broken Hill and the San Valentin Mine are ferroan manganoan ecandrewsite. The strongest lines in the X-ray powder diffraction data are (d in Å, (hkil), I/Io):2.746, (104), 100; 2.545, (110), 80; 1.867, (024), 40; 3.734, (012), 30; 1.470, (3030), 30; 1.723, (116), 25. Ecandrewsite is hexagonal, space group RR3¯ assigned from a structural study, with a = 5.090(1), c = 14.036(2)Å, V = 314.6(3)Å3, Z = 6, D(calc.) = 4.99. The mineral is opaque, dark brown to black with a similar streak, and a submetallic lustre. In plane polarized light the reflection colour is greyish white with a pinkish tinge. Reflection pleochroism is weak, but anisotropism is strong with colours from greenish grey to dark brownish grey. Reflectance data in air between 470 and 650 nm are given. At the type locality, ecandrewsite forms disseminated tabular euhedral grains up to 250 × 50 µm, in quartz-rich metasediments. Associated minerals include almandine-spessartine, ferroan gahnite and rutile. The name is for E. C. Andrews, pioneering geologist in the Broken Hill region of New South Wales. Type material consisting of one grain is preserved in the Museum of Victoria (M35700). The mineral and name were approved by the IMA Commission on New Minerals and Mineral Names in 1979.


Author(s):  
L. J. Spencer

Minerals containing iodine as an essential constituent are of rare occurrence in nature. The most common, and that first described, is silver iodide, which was analysed by Vauquelin in 1825; hexagonal crystals of iodyrite were described by Des Cloizeaux in 1854. Other iodides are marshite and the new mineral miersite ; iodobromite and schwartzembergite also contain considerable amounts of iodine. The existence of mercury iodide seems to be doubtful; the supposed mercury iodide from Broken Hill consists of an intimate mixture of cinnabar and iodyrite. Two iodates are also known, namely lautarite and dietzeite.


1996 ◽  
Vol 60 (399) ◽  
pp. 369-374 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. Kawachi ◽  
D. S. Coombs ◽  
H. Miura

AbstractNoélbensonite, a new mineral, is the barium manganese analogue of lawsonite. It is described from the Woods ornamental rhodonite mine, 30 km NNE of Tamworth, New South Wales, Australia, where it occurs as aggregates of blocky to sometimes lamellar crystals ranging from a few micrometres to (rarely) 100 µm in length. It replaces NaMn amphibole, namansilite, and pectolite, and also occurs as tiny monomineralic veinlets 0.05–0.25 mm thick. Rare euhedral crystals are dominated by {100} and {011}, with (011) ^ = 68°. The mineral is orthorhombic, space group apparently Cmcm; a = 6.325(1), b = 9.120(1), c = 13.618(1) Å, V = 785.6(1) Å3, with a : b : c = 0.694 : 1 : 1.493. Noélbensonite is brittle, fracture irregular, Mohs hardness about 4, cleavage and twinning not observed, colour dark brown, streak paler yellow-brown, lustre earthy on some veinlet surfaces to brilliantly vitreous, calculated density 3.87 g/cm3, refractive indices α = 1.82(1),β (calculated from 2V) = 1.835(10), γ = 1.85(1), biaxial negative 2Vα = 46°(3°), strong dispersion r > v, straight extinction to plane of flattening, {100}, α ∥ c, β ∥ b, γ ∥ a with pleochroism in very thin sections: α = orange yellow, β = orange, γ = brownish orange, absorption γ > β ⇐p; α. The average of 23 electron microprobe analyses (wt.%) is SiO2 26.02, Al2O3 0.17, TiO2 0.01, Fe2O3 0.19, Mn2O3 34.76, CaO 0.31, Na2O 0.14, BaO 29.08, SrO 1.51, H2Ocalc 7.87, total 100.06, leading to the simplified formula . Up to 15% Sr and 9% Ca substitute for Ba in the large-cation sites. The strongest lines in the X-ray powder diffraction pattern are [(Iobs) dobs/Å hkl] (100) 4.85 111; (50) 4.557 020; (59) 4.322 021; (77) 3.416 113,004; (80) 2.869 202; (47) 2.849 114; (82) 2.729 024; (45) 2.543 132; (48) 2.428 222; (38) 2.255 223,041. The name is for William Noél Benson (1885–1957), in honour of his classic researches in the New England Fold Belt and of his tenure of the Chair of Geology at the University of Otago.


2013 ◽  
Vol 77 (3) ◽  
pp. 353-366 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. A. Cooper ◽  
T. A. Husdal ◽  
N. A. Ball ◽  
Y. A. Abdu ◽  
F. C. Hawthorne

AbstractSchlüterite-(Y), ideally (Y,REE)2Al(Si2O7)(OH)2F, is a new silicate mineral species from the Stetind pegmatite, Tysfjord, Nordland, Norway. It forms dense, fibrous, radiating aggregates (up to ∼2 mm) diverging to individual needle-like crystals (up to ∼1 mm long) in cavities. Crystals are acicular to bladed, flattened on {001} and elongated along [010], and the dominant form is {001}. Schlüterite-(Y) is transparent, pale pink with a white streak and a vitreous lustre, and does not fluoresce under short-wave ultraviolet light. Mohs hardness is 5½–6, and schlüterite-(Y) is brittle with an irregular fracture, and has no cleavage. The calculated density is 4.644 g/cm3. The indices of refraction are α = 1.755, β = 1.760, γ = 1.770, all ± 0.005, 2Vobs = 71.8 (5)°, 2Vcalc = 71°, non-pleochroic, optic orientation is X ˆ a = 83.1° (β obtuse), Y//b, Z ˆ c = 50.3° (β acute). Schlüterite-(Y) is monoclinic, space group P21/c, a 7.0722(2), b 5.6198(1), c 21.4390(4) Å, β 122.7756(3)°, V 716.43(5) Å3, Z = 4. The seven strongest lines in the X-ray powder-diffraction pattern are as follows: [d (Å), I, (hkl)]: 4.769, 100, (012); 2.972, 55, (14); 3.289, 51, (112); 2.728, 49, (16); 2.810, 37, (020); 3.013, 37, ((16); 4.507, 36, (004). Chemical analysis by electron microprobe gave SiO2 22.64, Al2O3 9.45, Y2O3 15.35, La2O3 3.25, Ce2O3 9.69, Pr2O3 2.05, Nd2O3 9.50, Sm2O3 3.57, Gd2O3 4.65, Dy2O3 4.21, Er2O3 2.31, Yb2O3 1.86, F 2.71, H2Ocalc 3.78, O = F −1.14, sum 93.88 wt%. The H2O content was determined by crystal-structure analysis. On the basis of 10 anions with (OH) + F = 3 a.p.f.u. (atoms per formula unit), the empirical formula is (Y0.73Ce0.32Nd0.30Gd0.14Dy0.12La0.11Sm0.11Pr0.07Er0.06Yb0.05)Σ=2.01Al0.99Si2.01O7(OH)2.24F0.76. The crystal structure of schlüterite-(Y) was solved by direct methods and refined to an R1 index of 1.8% based on 1422 unique observed reflections. In the structure of schlüterite-(Y), Al(OH)4O2 octahedra share (OH)–(OH) edges to form [MΦ4] chains that are decorated by (Si2O7) groups that bridge O vertices of neighbouring octahedra in a staggered fashion on either side of the chain. These [Al(OH)2(Si2O7)] chains extend parallel to b, and are linked into a continuous framework via bonds to interstitial [8](Y,REE) (= <2.400 Å>) and [9](Y,REE) (= <2.548 Å>) atoms.


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