Fletcherite | |
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General | |
Category | Sulfide mineral Thiospinel group Spinel structural group |
Formula (repeating unit) | Cu(Ni,Co)2S4 |
IMA symbol | Ftc [1] |
Strunz classification | 2.DA.05 |
Crystal system | Cubic |
Crystal class | Hexoctahedral (m3m) H–M Symbol: (4/m 3 2/m) |
Space group | Fd3m |
Unit cell | a = 9.520 Å; Z = 8 |
Identification | |
Color | Steel gray, creamy white in polished section |
Crystal habit | Minute subhedral to euhedral crystals typically enclosed within other sulfide minerals |
Mohs scale hardness | 5 |
Luster | Metallic |
Diaphaneity | Opaque |
Specific gravity | 4.76 calculated |
Polish luster | Good polish with moderate reflectivity |
Optical properties | Isotropic |
References | [2] [3] [4] [5] |
Fletcherite is a rare thiospinel sulfide mineral with formula Cu(Ni,Co)2S4. It is an opaque metallic steel gray mineral which crystallizes in the cubic crystal system. It is a member of the linnaeite group.
It was first described in 1977 for an occurrence in the Fletcher Mine, Viburnum Trend (New Lead Belt), near Centerville, Reynolds County, Missouri. [3] [2]
It occurs as a dissemination within copper sulfide minerals in mineralization replacing dolomite at the type locality in the Fletcher mine where it is associated with vaesite, pyrite, covellite, chalcopyrite, bornite and digenite. In an occurrence in Kalgoorlie, Australia it is found in black slate associated with pyrrhotite. [2]
Pentlandite is an iron–nickel sulfide with the chemical formula (Fe,Ni)9S8. Pentlandite has a narrow variation range in Ni:Fe but it is usually described as having a Ni:Fe of 1:1. It also contains minor cobalt, usually at low levels as a fraction of weight.
Chalcopyrite ( KAL-kə-PY-ryte, -koh-) is a copper iron sulfide mineral and the most abundant copper ore mineral. It has the chemical formula CuFeS2 and crystallizes in the tetragonal system. It has a brassy to golden yellow color and a hardness of 3.5 to 4 on the Mohs scale. Its streak is diagnostic as green-tinged black.
Nickeline or niccolite is a mineral consisting primarily of nickel arsenide (NiAs). The naturally-occurring mineral contains roughly 43.9% nickel and 56.1% arsenic by mass, but composition of the mineral may vary slightly.
Dioptase is an intense emerald-green to bluish-green copper cyclosilicate mineral. It is transparent to translucent. Its luster is vitreous to sub-adamantine. Its formula is Cu6Si6O18·6H2O (also reported as CuSiO2(OH)2). It has a hardness of 5, the same as tooth enamel. Its specific gravity is 3.28–3.35, and it has two perfect and one very good cleavage directions. Additionally, dioptase is very fragile, and specimens must be handled with great care. It is a trigonal mineral, forming 6-sided crystals that are terminated by rhombohedra.
Cooperite is a grey mineral consisting of platinum sulfide, generally in combinations with sulfides of other elements such as palladium and nickel. Its general formula is (Pt,Pd,Ni)S. It is a dimorph of braggite.
Sperrylite is a platinum arsenide mineral with the chemical formula PtAs2 and is an opaque metallic tin white mineral which crystallizes in the isometric system with the pyrite group structure. It forms cubic, octahedral or pyritohedral crystals in addition to massive and reniform habits. It has a Mohs hardness of 6 - 7 and a very high specific gravity of 10.6.
Fukuchilite, Cu
3FeS
8, is a copper iron sulfide named after the Japanese mineralogist Nobuyo Fukuchi (1877–1934), that occurs in ore bodies of gypsum-anhydrite at the intersection points of small masses of barite, covellite, gypsum and pyrite, and is mostly found in the Hanawa mine in the Akita prefecture of Honshū, Japan where it was first discovered in 1969. It occurs in masses within the third geologic unit of the Kuroko type deposits within the mine.
The Southeast Missouri Lead District, commonly called the Lead Belt, is a lead mining district in the southeastern part of Missouri. Counties in the Lead Belt include Saint Francois, Crawford, Dent, Iron, Madison, Reynolds, and Washington. This mining district is the most important and critical lead producer in the United States.
Siegenite (also called grimmite, or nickel cobalt sulfide) is a ternary transition metal dichalcogenide compound with the chemical formula (Ni,Co)3S4. It has been actively studied as a promising material system for electrodes in electrochemical energy applications due to its better conductivity, greater mechanical and thermal stability, and higher performance compared to metal oxides currently in use. Potential applications of this material system include supercapacitors, batteries, electrocatalysis, dye-sensitized solar cells, photocatalysis, glucose sensors, and microwave absorption.
Greigite is an iron sulfide mineral with the chemical formula Fe2+Fe3+2S4. It is the sulfur equivalent of the iron oxide magnetite (Fe3O4). It was first described in 1964 for an occurrence in San Bernardino County, California, and named after the mineralogist and physical chemist Joseph W. Greig (1895–1977).
Digenite is a copper sulfide mineral with formula: Cu9S5. Digenite is a black to dark blue opaque mineral that crystallizes with a trigonal - hexagonal scalenohedral structure. In habit it is usually massive, but does often show pseudo-cubic forms. It has poor to indistinct cleavage and a brittle fracture. It has a Mohs hardness of 2.5 to 3 and a specific gravity of 5.6. It is found in copper sulfide deposits of both primary and supergene occurrences. It is typically associated with and often intergrown with chalcocite, covellite, djurleite, bornite, chalcopyrite and pyrite. The type locality is Sangerhausen, Thuringia, Germany, in copper slate deposits.
Kambaldaite, NaNi4(CO3)3(OH)3·3H2O, is an extremely rare hydrated sodium nickel carbonate mineral described from gossanous material associated with Kambalda type komatiitic nickel ore deposits at Kambalda, Western Australia, and Widgie Townsite nickel gossan, Widgiemooltha, Western Australia.
Polydymite, Ni2+Ni23+S4, is a supergene thiospinel sulfide mineral associated with the weathering of primary pentlandite nickel sulfide.
Carrollite, CuCo2S4, is a sulfide of copper and cobalt, often with substantial substitution of nickel for the metal ions, and a member of the linnaeite group. It is named after the type locality in Carroll County, Maryland, US, at the Patapsco mine, Sykesville.
Cattierite (CoS2) is a cobalt sulfide mineral found in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It was discovered together with the nickel sulfide vaesite by Johannes F. Vaes, a Belgian mineralologist and named after Felicien Cattier, who was chairman of the board of the Union Minière du Haut-Katanga.
Cubanite is a copper iron sulfide mineral that commonly occurs as a minor alteration mineral in magmatic sulfide deposits. It has the chemical formula CuFe2S3 and when found, it has a bronze to brass-yellow appearance. On the Mohs hardness scale, cubanite falls between 3.5 and 4 and has a orthorhombic crystal system. Cubanite is chemically similar to chalcopyrite, however it is the less common copper iron sulfide mineral due to crystallization requirements.
Gilalite is a copper silicate mineral with chemical composition of Cu5Si6O17·7(H2O).
Jalpaite is a rare copper silver sulfide mineral with formula Ag3CuS2.
Cornwallite is an uncommon copper arsenate mineral with formula Cu5(AsO4)2(OH)4. It forms a series with the phosphate pseudomalachite and is a dimorph of the triclinic cornubite. It is a green monoclinic mineral which forms as radial to fibrous encrustations.
Millerite is a nickel sulfide mineral, NiS. It is brassy in colour and has an acicular habit, often forming radiating masses and furry aggregates. It can be distinguished from pentlandite by crystal habit, its duller colour, and general lack of association with pyrite or pyrrhotite.