Alfredopetrovite, a new selenite mineral from the El Dragon mine, Bolivia

作者：Kampf Anthony R^*; Mills Stuart J; Nash Barbara P; Thorne Brent; Favreau Georges

来源：European Journal of Mineralogy, 2016, 28(2): 479-484.

DOI：10.1127/ejm/2015/0027-2506

• alfredopetrovite
• new mineral
• selenite
• crystal structure
• NASICON structure
• El Dragon mine
• Bolivia

Alfredopetrovite, Al-2(Se4+O3)(3)center dot 6H(2)O, is a new secondary selenite mineral from the El Dragon mine, Antonio Quijarro Province, Potosi Department, Bolivia. The mineral occurs in vugs in a matrix of Co-rich krut' aite penroseite, dolomite and goethite. Associated minerals are: ahlfeldite, allophane, calcite, chalcomenite, favreauite, felsobanyaite, malachite and molybdomenite. Crystals occur in drusy/scaly coatings and compact balls, the latter to 0.5 mm in diameter. Individual crystals are up to about 0.1 mm across. The Mohs hardness of alfredopetrovite is 21/2; it has no cleavage, curved fracture and a vitreous lustre. The calculated density based on the empirical formula is 2.504 g cm(-3). Alfredopetrovite is uniaxial (+), with omega = 1.554(2) and epsilon = 1.566(2) (white light), and exhibits no pleochroism. Electron microprobe analyses gave the empirical formula Al1.94Cu0.07Ni0.03Co0.01Se2.95O15H12.16, based on 15 O apfu; Alfredopetrovite is hexagonal, space group P (6) over bar 2c, with the unit-cell parameters: a = 8.818(3) angstrom, c = 10.721(2) angstrom, V = 722.0(5) angstrom(3) and Z = 2. The eight strongest lines in the X-ray powder diffraction pattern are [d(obs)/angstrom (I) (hkl)]: 7.63(55)(100), 6.22(55)(101), 5.37(26)(002), 4.398(40)(110,102), 3.404(100)(112), 2.783(50)(211), 2.606(22)(203), and 1.6609(26)(410,322,314,116). The crystal structure was refined to R-1 = 0.0268 for 240 observed reflections [F-o > 4 sigma F]. The structure is comprised of fairly regular AlO6 octahedra and Se4+O3 triangular pyramids. Three Se4+O3 pyramids link two adjacent AlO6 octahedra forming a [Al(H2O)(3)](2)(Se4+O3)(3) cluster structural unit. These structural units are bonded to one another only via hydrogen bonds yielding a structure with relatively large channels along [001]. The configuration of the cluster is similar to that of the distinctive unit in the NASICON structure, commonly referred to as a lantern unit.

• 出版日期2016-4