Zinkgruvanite, Ba₄Mn²⁺₄Fe³⁺₂(Si₂O₇)₂(SO₄)₂O₂(OH)₂, a new ericssonite-group mineral from the Zinkgruvan Zn-Pb-Ag-Cu deposit, Askersund, Örebro County, Sweden

Zinkgruvanite, ideally Ba4Mn42+Fe23+(Si2O7)2(SO4)2O2(OH)2, is a new member of the ericssonite group, found in Ba-rich drill core samples from a sphalerite- and galena- and diopside-rich metatuffite succession from the Zinkgruvan mine, Örebro County, Sweden. Zinkgruvanite is associated with massive baryte, barytocalcite, diopside and minor witherite, cerchiaraite-Al, and sulfide minerals. It occurs as subhedral to euhedral flattened and elongated crystals up to 4 mm. It is almost black and semi-opaque with a dark-brown streak. The lustre is vitreous to sub-adamantine on crystal faces and resinous on fractures. The mineral is brittle with an uneven fracture. VHN100=539, and HMohs ≈ 4.5. In thin fragments, it is reddish-black, translucent and optically biaxial (+), 2Vz > 70∘. Pleochroism is strong and deep brown-red (E ⊥ {001} cleavage) to olive-pale-brown. Chemical point analyses by WDS-EPMA (wavelength-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy electron probe microanalyser) together with iron valencies determined from Mössbauer spectroscopy yielded the empirical formula (based on 26 O+OH+F+Cl anions): (Ba4.02Na0.03)Σ4.05(Mn1.79Fe1.562+Fe0.423+Mg0.14Ca0.10Ni0.01Zn0.01)Σ4.03(Fe1.743+Ti0.20Al0.06)Σ2.00Si4(S1.61Si0.32P0.07)Σ1.99O24(OH1.63Cl0.29F0.08)Σ2.00. The mineral is triclinic, in space group P1¯, with unit-cell parameters a=5.3982(1) Å, b=7.0237(1) Å, c=14.8108(4) Å, α= 98.256(2)∘, β= 93.379(2)∘, γ= 89.985(2)∘ and V= 554.75(2) Å3 for Z=1. The eight strongest X-ray powder diffraction lines are the following (d Å (I %; hkl)): 3.508 (70; 103), 2.980(70; 114‾), 2.814 (68; 12‾2), 2.777 (70; 121), 2.699 (714; 200), 2.680 (68; 201‾), 2.125 (100; 124, 204) and 2.107 (96; 2‾21). The crystal structure (R1=0.0379 for 3204 reflections) is an array of TS (titanium silicate) blocks alternating with intermediate blocks. The TS blocks consist of HOH sheets (H for heteropolyhedral and O for octahedral) parallel to (001). In the O sheet, the Mn2+-dominant MO(1,2,3) sites give ideally Mn42+ pfu (per formula unit). In the H sheet, the Fe3+-dominant MH sites and AP(1) sites give ideally Fe23+Ba2 pfu. In the intermediate block, SO4 oxyanions and 11 coordinated Ba atoms give ideally 2× SO4Ba pfu. Zinkgruvanite is related to ericssonite and ferroericssonite in having the same topology and type of linkage of layers in the TS block. Zinkgruvanite is also closely compositionally related to yoshimuraite, Ba4Mn4Ti2(Si2O7)2(PO4)2O2(OH)2, via the coupled heterovalent substitution 2 Ti4++ 2 (PO4)3-→2 Fe3++ 2 (SO4)2− but presents a different type of linkage. The new mineral probably formed during a late stage of regional metamorphism of a Ba-enriched, syngenetic protolith, involving locally generated oxidized fluids of high salinity.

Investigation on the Suitability of Engelhard Titanium Silicate as a Support for Ni-Catalysts in the Methanation Reaction

Methanation reaction of carbon dioxide is currently envisaged as a facile solution for the storage and transportation of low-grade energies, contributing at the same time to the mitigation of CO2 emissions. In this work, a nickel catalyst impregnated onto a new support, Engelhard Titanium Silicates (ETS), is proposed, and its catalytic performance was tested toward the CO2 methanation reaction. Two types of ETS material were investigated, ETS-4 and ETS-10, that differ from each other in the titanium content, with Si/Ti around 2 and 3% by weight, respectively. Catalysts, loaded with 5% of nickel, were tested in the CO2 methanation reaction in the temperature range of 300–500 °C and were characterized by XRD, SEM–EDX, N2 adsorption–desorption and H2-TPR. Results showed an interesting catalytic activity of the Ni/ETS catalysts. Particularly, the best catalytic performances are showed by Ni/ETS-10: 68% CO2 conversion and 98% CH4 selectivity at T = 400 °C. The comparison of catalytic performance of Ni/ETS-10 with those obtained by other Ni-zeolites catalysts confirms that Ni/ETS-10 catalyst is a promising one for the CO2 methanation reaction.

From Structure Topology to Chemical Composition. XXIX. Revision of the Crystal Structure of Perraultite, NaBaMn4Ti2(Si2O7)2O2(OH)2F, a Seidozerite-Supergroup TS-Block Mineral from the Oktyabr'skii Massif, Ukraine, and Discreditation of Surkhobite

ABSTRACT The crystal structure of perraultite from the Oktyabr'skii massif, Donetsk region, Ukraine (bafertisite group, seidozerite supergroup), ideally NaBaMn4Ti2(Si2O7)2O2(OH)2F, Z = 4, was refined in space group C to R1 = 2.08% on the basis of 4839 unique reflections [Fo > 4σFo]; a = 10.741(6), b = 13.841(8), c = 11.079(6) Å, α = 108.174(6), β = 99.186(6), γ = 89.99(1)°, V = 1542.7(2.7) Å3. Refinement was done using data from a crystal with three twin domains which was part of a grain used for electron probe microanalysis. In the perraultite structure [structure type B1(BG), B – basic, BG – bafertisite group], there is one type of TS (Titanium-Silicate) block and one type of I (Intermediate) block; they alternate along c. The TS block consists of HOH sheets (H – heteropolyhedral, O – octahedral). In the O sheet, the ideal composition of the five [6]MO sites is Mn4 apfu. There is no order of Mn and Fe2+ in the O sheet. The MH octahedra and Si2O7 groups constitute the H sheet. The ideal composition of the two [6]MH sites is Ti2 apfu. The TS blocks link via common vertices of MH octahedra. The I block contains AP(1,2) and BP(1,2) cation sites. The AP(1) site is occupied by Ba and the AP(2) site by K > Ba; the ideal composition of the AP(1,2) sites is Ba apfu. The BP(1) and BP(2) sites are each occupied by Na > Ca; the ideal composition of the BP(1,2) sites is Na apfu. We compare perraultite and surkhobite based on the work of Sokolova et al. (2020) on the holotype sample of surkhobite: space group C , R1 = 2.85 %, a = 10.728(6), b = 13.845(8), c = 11.072(6) Å, α = 108.185(6), β = 99.219(5), γ = 90.001(8)°, V = 1540.0(2.5) Å3; new EPMA data. We show that (1) perraultite and surkhobite have identical chemical composition and ideal formula NaBaMn4Ti2(Si2O7)2O2(OH)2F; (2) perraultite and surkhobite are isostructural, with no order of Na and Ca at the BP(1,2) sites. Perraultite was described in 1991 and has precedence over surkhobite, which was redefined as “a Ca-ordered analogue of perraultite” in 2008. Surkhobite is not a valid mineral species and its discreditation was approved by CNMNC IMA (IMA 20-A).