A STRUCTURAL STUDY OF THE LITHIOPHILITE-SICKLERITE SERIES

作者:Hatert Frederic*; Ottolini Luisa; Wouters Johan; Fontan Francois
来源:The Canadian Mineralogist, 2012, 50(4): 843-854.
DOI:10.3749/canmin.50.4.843

摘要

A sample from the Koktokay No. 3 granitic pegmatite, Altai Mountains, northwestern China, which shows a transition from lithiophilite [LiMn2+PO4] to sicklerite [Li1-xMn2+PO4], was investigated by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, electron-microprobe analysis, and secondary-ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) techniques. Under the polarizing microscope, the sample shows colorless lithiophilite and deep-orange sicklerite, as well as several intermediate phases. The chemical compositions change from Li-0.96(Mn2+ Fe-0.81(2+) Fe-0.09(3+) (0.08)) PO4 to Li-0.69(Mn2+ Mn-0.62(3+) Fe-0.19(3+) (0.16)) PO4, and show a progressive decrease of the lithium content from lithiophilite to sicklerite. Five crystals were extracted from the thin section, and their crystal structures were refined in space group Pbnm, with unit-cell parameters from a 4.736(1), b 10.432(2), c 6.088(1) angstrom (lithiophilite), to a 4.765(1), b 10.338(1), c 6.060(1) angstrom (sicklerite). The olivine-type structures of these phosphates are identical to that of triphylite, and are characterized by two chains of edge-sharing octahedra parallel to the c axis. The first chain consists of M1 octahedra containing Li atoms and vacancies, and the second chain consists of M2 octahedra occupied by Fe and Mn. The significant Mn3+ content in sicklerite necessitates a more careful interpretation of the electron-microprobe data, and demonstrates the different mechanisms of oxidation affecting the lithiophilite-sicklerite and triphylite-ferrisicklerite series, respectively.

  • 出版日期2012-8