Fangite

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Fangite
General
Category Sulfosalt
Formula
(repeating unit)
Tl 3 As S 4
IMA symbol Fg
Strunz classification 2.Ka.15
Crystal system Orthorhombic
Crystal class 2/m 2/m 2/m - Dipyramidal
Space group Pnma
Unit cell a = 8.894(8)  Å, b = 10.855(9) Å
c = 9.079(9) Å; Z = 4
Identification
Formula mass 816.3315
ColorDeep red, maroon
Mohs scale hardness2-2.5
Luster Vitreous, metallic
Streak Orange
Diaphaneity Transparent
Density 6.185 g/cm3
Polish lusterBlue-gray
Birefringence Very low
Dispersion Relatively strong
References [1]

Fangite is a sulfosalt first discovered in the Mercur gold deposit located in Tooele County Utah. The specimen was found in a boulder in the southern Oquirrh Mountains. The only available specimens of fangite are located in the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution. The International Mineralogical Association Commission approved the name Fangite after Dr. Jen-Ho Fang, a crystal chemist affiliated with the University of Alabama, in honor of his significant contributions to crystallography, crystal chemistry, and geostatistics. [1]

Contents

Occurrence

Fangite was detected in an isolated vug of sulfide ore stockpile within the Morrin Hill pit at the Mercur gold deposit. Fangite is associated with subhedral pyrite and fine-grained sulfide indicating partial replacement of pyrite, sphalerite, and other sulfide minerals. Based on surrounding materials, it can be concluded that Fangite forms as a result of alteration of thallium sulfates or by substituting fluids that are Ti-rich for realgar or orpiment. [1]

Physical properties

Fangite is a deep red to maroon, transparent mineral with a vitreous luster and a metallic luster when tarnished. The original sample of fangite was too small to determine hardness. Synthetic Tl 3 As S 4 exhibits a hardness of 2-2.5 on the Mohs hardness scale and a density of 6.185 g/cm3. Synthetic Tl 3 As S 4 was also used for assessing streak, revealing an orange color. Fangite exhibits a blue-gray luster with low birefringence and red internal reflections when polished. Due to no well-formed crystals in the original specimen collected, cleavage could not be determined. However, synthetic fangite exhibits conchoidal fracture. [1]

Optical properties

Fangite has a vitreous luster that turns metallic when tarnished. When examining fangite in a polished section, only one grain could be used to test optical properties due to the abundant presence of internal red reflections. Due to the angles of fracture in synthetic material, grains are present that reflect away unwanted components. It is concluded that fangite has a very low birefringence with a difference of Y% of 0.4. The consistent decrease in reflectance from the blue to red end of the visible spectrum aligns with the blue-gray appearance of fangite in polished sections. This appearance corresponds to its red and translucent characteristics in hand specimen or thin section. Comparing these reflectance spectra with those in the Quantitative Data File for ore minerals reveals similarities between R1 and R2 of fangite and the R2 values of proustite (Ag3AsS3). However, proustite is distinctly bireflectant and appears more purplish-red due to its somewhat higher reflectance at the blue end of the spectrum. [1]

Structure

The ideal chemical formula for fangite is Tl3AsS4. When examining the crystal structure of fangite along the a-axis, it is apparent that fangite exhibits a polyhedral arrangement. Arsenic (As) atoms in this orientation display perfect tetrahedral coordination with Sulfur (S) featuring an average bond length of 2.172 Å. A distorted trigonal dipyramid with an average bond length of 3.17 Å is formed with the Thallium (Tl) atom, coordinated in a fivefold manner with S. The Thallium (Tl) atom is also coordinated sevenfold with Sulfur (S), creating a monocapped octahedron with an average bond length of 3.288 Å. Chains, comprising alternating Tl2 dipyramids and As tetrahedra, are linked through corner-sharing at S1 and S2. These chains align parallel to the c axis, and the structure repeats with each alternating chain undergoing a 180° rotation and shifting up and down the A axis. Fangite has an ideal chemical formula of Tl3AsS4. When examining an isolated chain from the b-axis, it is apparent that the previously described chain is a Tl2-As polyhedral layer. This layer consists of Tl2 trigonal dipyramids arranged in zigzag chains along the a-axis, connected in the c-direction by As tetrahedra. These tetrahedra share an edge and two vertices with the dipyramids, creating nearly planar Tl2-As polyhedral layers aligned with the (010) plane. The linkage between these layers is in the b-direction by interlayer Tl atoms. [1]

Chemical composition

Oxidewt%Range
Th75.774.6-76.8
As9.169.10-9.20
S15.615.5-15.8
Total100.4699.2-101.8

[1]


X-ray crystallography

X-ray diffraction was collected from synthetic fangite using a Gondolfi pattern, using an automated powder diffractometer. Synthetic material was supplied by M. Gottlieb, associated with the Westinghouse Research Laboratories in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Through analysis, it is concluded that fangite is a part of the orthorhombic crystal system with a space group of Pnma. Unit cell, dimensions were also analyzed, revealing: a=8.894(8) Å, b=10.855(9) Å, c=9.079(9) Å, z=4. [1]

See also

List of Minerals

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2
Mn2+
Fe3+
[Si
4
O
12
(OH)]·(H
2
O)
2
, is a sorosilicate of the Si
4
O
13
group. Structurally it also belongs to the Akatoreite group. It was found and named after the province of Hubei, China. It is common to iron ores in a mine of that region. It occurs mainly as aggregates of fan like crystals. It is dark to pale brown, has orange-brown streak and is vitreous. Hubeite has a hardness of 5.5 in the Mohs scale, one good cleavage and conchoidal fracture. It is triclinic with a space group of P1*. The structure of hubeite is very uncommon, and in fact there is only one other mineral that fits the Si
4
O
13
group, which is ruizite.

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Sen Gupta, P.K., Robinson, P.D., and Criddle, A.J., 1993, Fangite, TlrAsSo, a new thallium arsenic sulfosalt from the Mercur Au deposit, Utah, and revised optical data for gillulyite (J. R. Wilson, Ed.): American Mineralogist, v. 78, p. 1096–1103.