George-ericksenite

Last updated
George-ericksenite
General
Category Sulfate mineral
Formula
(repeating unit)
Na6CaMg(IO3)6(CrO4)2(H2O)12
IMA symbol Gek [1]
Strunz classification 4.KD.10
Crystal system Monoclinic
Crystal class Prismatic (2/m)
(same H-M symbol)
Space group C2/c
Unit cell a = 23.645  Å
b = 10.918 Å
c = 15.768 Å
β = 114.42°; Z=4
Identification
ColorPale yellow (crystals) to bright lemon yellow (aggregates)
Crystal habit Prismatic to acicular along [001] and somewhat flattened on {110}
Twinning None observed megascopically nor during single-crystal study
Cleavage None observed
Fracture Unknown
Tenacity Brittle
Mohs scale hardness3-4 (estimated)
Luster Vitreous
Streak Pale yellow
Diaphaneity Transparent (crystals) to translucent (aggregates)
Density 3.035 g/cm3
Birefringence δ = 0.057
Pleochroism Slight; X 5 very pale yellow, Z 5 distinct yellow-green
Solubility Extreme in cold water
References [2] [3]

George-ericksenite is a mineral with the chemical formula Na6CaMg(IO3)6(CrO4)2(H2O)12. It is vitreous, pale yellow to bright lemon yellow, brittle, and features a prismatic to acicular crystal habit along [001] and somewhat flattened crystal habit on {110}. It was first encountered in 1984 at the Pinch Mineralogical Museum. One specimen of dietzeite from Oficina Chacabuco, Chile had bright lemon-yellow micronodules on it. These crystals produced an X-ray powder diffraction pattern that did not match any XRD data listed for inorganic compounds. The X-ray diffraction pattern and powder mount were set aside until 1994. By then, the entire mineral collection from the Pinch Mineralogical Museum had been purchased by the Canadian Museum of Nature. The specimen was then retrieved and studied further. This study was successful and the new mineral george-ericksenite was discovered. The mineral was named for George E. Ericksen who was a research economic geologist with the U.S. Geological Survey for fifty years. The mineral and name have been approved by Commission on New Minerals and Mineral Names (IMA). The specimen, polished thin section, and the actual crystal used for the structure determination are kept in the Display Series of the National Mineral Collection of Canada at the Canadian Museum of Nature, Ottawa, Ontario.

Contents

Description

Occurrence and paragenesis

George-ericksonite is commonly found as isolated bright lemon-yellow micronodules of crystals that are concentrated on the surface of one part of the mineral specimen. However, in some cases the micronodules occur as groupings instead of isolated occurrences. The average size of these micronodules is approximately 0.2 mm and each consists of numerous individual crystals in random orientation. [4]

Electron microprobe examination

This examination was carried out by attaching two acicular crystals to the surface of a disk with epoxy and then examining them with a CAMECA SX-50 electron microprobe. One of the crystals had the (100) surface facing up, and the other crystal had a growth face of the form (110) facing up. The microprobe was operating in wavelength-dispersive mode at 15 kV and ran various currents from 20 nA to 0.5 nA. The CAMECA SX-50 has three spectrometers and the samples were examined in the sequence (Na, Cl, I), then (Mg, S, Ca). When the crystal was exposed to the electron beam for the first 200 seconds, the counts per second on each element varied greatly which indicates that the crystals are extremely unstable in the electron beam. The counts per second for each element were also dependent on the surface of the crystal [(100) or (110)] analyzed. Over shorter counting times (<10 s) at 15 kV and 5 nA, there is a gain in I2O5 and a drop in Na2O relative to ideal values. However, a significant orientation effect exists for SO3 and CaO values for the (100) and (110) surfaces on either side of the ideal values. With increasing exposure to the electron beam, Na2O increases and all other oxides decrease. This behavior is also more rapid on the (100) surface than on the (110) crystal face. The (100) surface is overall more reactive to the electron beam than the (110) surface, but both surfaces seem to approach equilibrium with the beam and give similar oxides weight percentages after 200 seconds. [4]

Even at low currents and short counting times george-ericksenite is extremely unstable under the electron beam. After examination, the crystal faces are stained brown from the reaction with I2 and the decrease in analyzed I2O5 with increasing time. The crystallographic orientation of the material analyzed has a large impact on the analytical values at any given time. The overall quantitative behavior of george-ericksenite in the electron beam is consistent with the chemical composition derived (ideally I2O5 59.13, CrO3 9.92. SO3 1.51, MgO 2.38, CaO 3.31, Na2O 10.98, H2O 12.77 weight %). [4]

Crystal structure

Data collection

A 0.046 X 0.059 X 0.060 mm3 crystal was mounted on a Siemans P4 four-circle diffractometer. The crystal was aligned using 42 reflections automatically centered following measurement from a rotation photograph. The orientation matrix and unit-cell dimensions were determined from the setting angles of least-squares refinement. 3872 reflections were recorded out to 60° 2θ with a fixed scan speed of 1.33° 2θ/min. Corrections for absorption by Gaussian quadrature integration were applied. Corrections for Lorentz, polarization, and background effects were also applied as well as reduction of intensities to structure factors. [4]

Structure solution and refinement

The SHELXTL PC Plus system of programs were used for the calculations. The R and Rw indices are of the conventional form. The structure was solved by direct methods. The structure is centrosymmetric as indicated by the E statistics. Systematic absences also indicate the presence of a c glide for the C-centered cell. The result was placing george-ericksenite in the C2/c space group. The structure was refined by a combination of least-squares refinement and difference-Fourier synthesis to an R index of 3.5% and Rw equal to 3.5%. Site occupancies were determined by the basis of site-scattering refinement and crystal-chemical criteria. [4]

Description of the structure

Cation coordination

There is one chromium (Cr) site that is symmetrically distinct and is tetrahedrally coordinated by four oxygen (O) atoms. The average length of the bonds is 1.61 Å which indicates that the Cr cation is hexavalent. The average bond length at the Cr site is less than would be expected for complete occupancy by Cr6+. This difference can be accounted for by partial substitution of sulfur (S) atoms. [4]

There are three iodine (I) sites that are coordinated by three oxygen (O) atoms arranged in a triangle to one side of the cation. The distances of the bonds between the I and O atoms is 1.81 Å. This results in the IO3 group forming a triangular pyramid with the I site at the top of the pyramid. At each I sites there are also three additional ligands that causes the iodine atoms to have a distorted octahedral coordination. This also causes the I atom to occupy off centered positions within each octahedron. The long bonds between the atoms at the I sites contributes significant bond valence to the bonded anions. [4]

There are three sodium (Na) sites that are each unique. Each site has a different type of coordination. The Na1 site is encompassed by two O atoms and four H2O groups in a distorted octahedral arrangement with a Na1-Φ distance (where Φ=unspecified ligand) of 2.41 Å. The Na2 site is surrounded by five O atoms and 2 H2O groups in an augmented octahedral arrangement with a Na2-Φ distance of 2.54 Å. The Na3 site is surrounded by five O atoms and three H2O atoms in a triangular dodecahedral arrangement with a Na3-Φ distance of 2.64 Å. [4]

There is only one magnesium (Mg) site which is coordinated by six O atoms in an octahedral arrangement with a Mg-O distance of 2.09 Å. This bond length is in accord with this site being entirely occupied by Mg with not substitution. [4]

The one calcium (Ca) site is coordinated by six O atoms and two H2O groups in a square-antiprismatic arrangement with a Ca-Φ distance of 2.50 Å. This bond length is in accord with this site being entirely occupied by Ca with not substitution. [4]

Structure topology

George-ericksenite features a structural arrangement that is composed of slabs of polyhedra orthogonal to [100]. These slabs feature the same composition as the mineral itself and are a half of a unit thick in the [100] direction. These are connected to adjacent slabs solely by hydrogen bonding. The edges of each slab are bounded by near-planar layers of anions. The slabs themselves are composed of three planar layers of cations. There are also three planar layers of cations parallel to the edges of the slabs. This indicates that each slab consists of three layers of polyhedra. The c-glide symmetry relates the top and bottom of the slab which means the slab may be broken into two unique sheets of polyhedra.

There is a prominent zigzag pattern of chains of Na polyhedra extending in the c direction on the outer layer of the slab. The Na1 octahedron shares an edge with the Na2 augmented octahedron which shares a face with the Na3 triangular dodecahedron. This forms a linear trimer that extends in the [011] direction. This trimer is then links by edge-sharing between the Na3 and a1 polyhedra to another trimer extending in the [0-11] direction. This motif continues to form a [Na3Φ14] zigzag chain extending in the c direction. In each embayment of this chain the polyhedra are accented by two (IO3+3) groups. Identical chains run parallel to the c axis that are linked only by one weak I-O bond.

The inner layer of the slab is composed of one Mg octahedron that shares corners with two Cr tetrahedra. This forms a [MT2Φ12] cluster. The other two anions of the Mg octahedron link by corner-sharing to two (IO3+3) groups. These [Mg(CrO4)2(IO3+3)2O2] clusters link together two (CaΦ8) polyhedra. This forms chains parallel to the b axis. Weak I-O bonds link these chains to form the central layer of the slab.

Relation to other minerals

The only other chromate-iodate mineral is dietzeite, Ca(IO3)2(CrO4)(H2O). Dietzeite and george-ericksenite have no structural relationship. Fuenzalidaite and carlosruizite are sulphate-iodate minerals found in the Chilean nitrate fields and contain small amounts of Cr substituting for S. They are also sheet structures, but the sheets are vastly different in terms of connectivity than in george-ericksenite.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carbide</span> Inorganic compound group

In chemistry, a carbide usually describes a compound composed of carbon and a metal. In metallurgy, carbiding or carburizing is the process for producing carbide coatings on a metal piece.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hydroxide</span> Chemical compound

Hydroxide is a diatomic anion with chemical formula OH. It consists of an oxygen and hydrogen atom held together by a single covalent bond, and carries a negative electric charge. It is an important but usually minor constituent of water. It functions as a base, a ligand, a nucleophile, and a catalyst. The hydroxide ion forms salts, some of which dissociate in aqueous solution, liberating solvated hydroxide ions. Sodium hydroxide is a multi-million-ton per annum commodity chemical. The corresponding electrically neutral compound HO is the hydroxyl radical. The corresponding covalently bound group –OH of atoms is the hydroxy group. Both the hydroxide ion and hydroxy group are nucleophiles and can act as catalysts in organic chemistry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pyroxene</span> Group of inosilicate minerals with single chains of silica tetrahedra

The pyroxenes are a group of important rock-forming inosilicate minerals found in many igneous and metamorphic rocks. Pyroxenes have the general formula XY(Si,Al)2O6, where X represents calcium (Ca), sodium (Na), iron or magnesium (Mg) and more rarely zinc, manganese or lithium, and Y represents ions of smaller size, such as chromium (Cr), aluminium (Al), magnesium (Mg), cobalt (Co), manganese (Mn), scandium (Sc), titanium (Ti), vanadium (V) or even iron. Although aluminium substitutes extensively for silicon in silicates such as feldspars and amphiboles, the substitution occurs only to a limited extent in most pyroxenes. They share a common structure consisting of single chains of silica tetrahedra. Pyroxenes that crystallize in the monoclinic system are known as clinopyroxenes and those that crystallize in the orthorhombic system are known as orthopyroxenes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ulexite</span>

Ulexite (NaCaB5O6(OH)6·5H2O, hydrated sodium calcium borate hydroxide), sometimes known as TV rock or Television stone, is a mineral occurring in silky white rounded crystalline masses or in parallel fibers. The natural fibers of ulexite conduct light along their long axes, by internal reflection. Ulexite was named for the German chemist Georg Ludwig Ulex (1811–1883) who first discovered it.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Perovskite (structure)</span> Type of crystal structure

A perovskite is any material with a crystal structure following the formula ABX3, which was first discovered as the mineral called perovskite, which consists of calcium titanium oxide (CaTiO3). The mineral was first discovered in the Ural mountains of Russia by Gustav Rose in 1839 and named after Russian mineralogist L. A. Perovski (1792–1856). 'A' and 'B' are two positively charged ions (i.e. cations), often of very different sizes, and X is a negatively charged ion (an anion, frequently oxide) that bonds to both cations. The 'A' atoms are generally larger than the 'B' atoms. The ideal cubic structure has the B cation in 6-fold coordination, surrounded by an octahedron of anions, and the A cation in 12-fold cuboctahedral coordination. Additional perovskite forms may exist where either/both the A and B sites have a configuration of A1x-1A2x and/or B1y-1B2y and the X may deviate from the ideal coordination configuration as ions within the A and B sites undergo changes in their oxidation states.

An oxyanion, or oxoanion, is an ion with the generic formula A
x
Oz
y
. Oxyanions are formed by a large majority of the chemical elements. The formulae of simple oxyanions are determined by the octet rule. The corresponding oxyacid of an oxyanion is the compound H
z
A
x
O
y
. The structures of condensed oxyanions can be rationalized in terms of AOn polyhedral units with sharing of corners or edges between polyhedra. The oxyanions adenosine monophosphate (AMP), adenosine diphosphate (ADP) and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) are important in biology.

Pauling's rules are five rules published by Linus Pauling in 1929 for predicting and rationalizing the crystal structures of ionic compounds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uranate</span>

A uranate is a ternary oxide involving the element uranium in one of the oxidation states 4, 5 or 6. A typical chemical formula is MxUyOz, where M represents a cation. The uranium atom in uranates(VI) has two short collinear U–O bonds and either four or six more next nearest oxygen atoms. The structures are infinite lattice structures with the uranium atoms linked by bridging oxygen atoms.

In chemistry, crystallography, and materials science, the coordination number, also called ligancy, of a central atom in a molecule or crystal is the number of atoms, molecules or ions bonded to it. The ion/molecule/atom surrounding the central ion/molecule/atom is called a ligand. This number is determined somewhat differently for molecules than for crystals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Calcium hexaboride</span> Chemical compound

Calcium hexaboride (sometimes calcium boride) is a compound of calcium and boron with the chemical formula CaB6. It is an important material due to its high electrical conductivity, hardness, chemical stability, and melting point. It is a black, lustrous, chemically inert powder with a low density. It has the cubic structure typical for metal hexaborides, with octahedral units of 6 boron atoms combined with calcium atoms. CaB6 and lanthanum-doped CaB6 both show weak ferromagnetic properties, which is a remarkable fact because calcium and boron are neither magnetic, nor have inner 3d or 4f electronic shells, which are usually required for ferromagnetism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Julgoldite</span>

Julgoldite is a member of the pumpellyite mineral series, a series of minerals characterized by the chemical bonding of silica tetrahedra with alkali and transition metal cations. Julgoldites, along with more common minerals like epidote and vesuvianite, belong to the subclass of sorosilicates, the rock-forming minerals that contain SiO4 tetrahedra that share a common oxygen to form Si2O7 ions with a charge of 6- (Deer et al., 1996). Julgoldite has been recognized for its importance in low grade metamorphism, forming under shear stress accompanied by relatively low temperatures (Coombs, 1953). Julgoldite was named in honor of Professor Julian Royce Goldsmith (1918–1999) of the University of Chicago.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zemannite</span>

Zemannite is a very rare oxide mineral with the chemical formula Mg0.5ZnFe3+[TeO3]3·4.5H2O. It crystallizes in the hexagonal crystal system and forms small prismatic brown crystals. Because of the rarity and small crystal size, zemannite has no applications and serves as a collector's item.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dicopper chloride trihydroxide</span> Chemical compound

Dicopper chloride trihydroxide is the chemical compound with the formula Cu2(OH)3Cl. It is often referred to as tribasic copper chloride (TBCC), copper trihydroxyl chloride or copper hydroxychloride. It is a greenish crystalline solid encountered in mineral deposits, metal corrosion products, industrial products, art and archeological objects, and some living systems. It was originally manufactured on an industrial scale as a precipitated material used as either a chemical intermediate or a fungicide. Since 1994, a purified, crystallized product has been produced at the scale of thousands of tons per year, and used extensively as a nutritional supplement for animals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Donnayite-(Y)</span> Rare-earth carbonate mineral containing the rare-earth metal yttrium

Donnayite-(Y) is a rare-earth carbonate mineral containing the rare-earth metal yttrium. It was first discovered in 1978 at Mont Saint-Hilaire, Quebec. Donnayite was subsequently identified and named after Joseph D. H. Donnay and his wife, Gabrielle Donnay. Both were prominent mineralogists and crystallographers, and J. D. H. Donnay was awarded the Roebling Award by the Mineralogical Society of America in 1971 for his emphasis on the importance of optical mineralogy and crystal morphology. Donnayite tends to occur in small quantities in the pegmatite dykes and miarolitic cavities of mountainous regions. It crystallizes in this environment with increasing alkalinity values until the alkalinity suddenly drops during the last stage of crystallization. This results in increasing amounts of Na carbonates and REE minerals. First discovered at Mont St-Hilaire, donnayite has since been found in the Southern Ural Mountains of Russia and the Narssarssuk pegmatite of South Greenland. Donnayite crystals tend to be small and the color is commonly pale yellow to yellow with a white streak and a vitreous luster. Donnayite crystals usually display trigonal or hexagonal symmetry and have a hardness of 3. Twinning is extremely common in this mineral. Minerals closely related to donnayite include synchysite, calcite, sphalerite, microcline, and analcime. Donnayite is isomorphous with weloganite and mckelveyite.

Carlosruizite is a sulfate or selenate – iodate mineral with chemical formula: K6(Na,K)4Na6Mg10(SeO4)12(IO3)12·12H2O. It has a low density (specific gravity of 3.36), colorless to pale yellow, transparent mineral which crystallizes in the trigonal crystal system. It forms a series with fuenzalidaite.

The spinels are any of a class of minerals of general formulation AB
2
X
4
which crystallise in the cubic (isometric) crystal system, with the X anions arranged in a cubic close-packed lattice and the cations A and B occupying some or all of the octahedral and tetrahedral sites in the lattice. Although the charges of A and B in the prototypical spinel structure are +2 and +3, respectively, other combinations incorporating divalent, trivalent, or tetravalent cations, including magnesium, zinc, iron, manganese, aluminium, chromium, titanium, and silicon, are also possible. The anion is normally oxygen; when other chalcogenides constitute the anion sublattice the structure is referred to as a thiospinel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hubeite</span>

The mineral hubeite, Ca
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.

Sheldrickite is a sodium calcium carbonate fluoride mineral, named in honor of George M. Sheldrick, former Professor of Crystallography at the University of Göttingen in Germany. Sheldrick is the creator of SHELLX computer program widely used for the analysis of crystal structures. Determination of the structure of this mineral required the software's capability of handling twinned crystals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coupled substitution</span> Geological process by which two elements simultaneously substitute into a crystal

Coupled substitution is the geological process by which two elements simultaneous substitute into a crystal in order to maintain overall electrical neutrality and keep the charge constant. In forming a solid solution series, ionic size is more important than ionic charge, as this can be compensated for elsewhere in the structure.

Meyrowitzite, Ca(UO2)(CO3)2·5H2O, is a carbonate mineral verified in May of 2018 by the Commission of New Minerals, Nomenclature and Classification of the International Mineralogical Association. It is an extremely rare mineral, discovered in the Markey mine Utah, U.S.A. The mineral is a transparent yellow and has blades up to approximately 0.2 mm in length. It is soluble in water or aqueous solutions. Meyrowitzite is named in honor of Robert Meyrowitz (1916-2013), an American analytical chemist. After serving in WW II, he joined the United States Geological Survey (USGS). He was known for developing innovative new methods for analyzing small and difficult to study mineralogical samples along with his formulation of the high-index immersion liquids.

References

  1. Warr, L.N. (2021). "IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols". Mineralogical Magazine. 85 (3): 291–320. Bibcode:2021MinM...85..291W. doi: 10.1180/mgm.2021.43 . S2CID   235729616.
  2. Cooper, Mark A.; Hawthorne, Frank A.; Roberts, Andrew C.; Grice, Joel D.; Stirling, John A.R.; Moffatt, Elizabeth A., 1998, American Mineralogist, Volume 83, pp 390-399
  3. . Minsocam.org. Retrieved on 2015-10-20.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Cooper, Mark A.; Hawthorne, Frank C.; Roberts, Andrew C.; Grice, Joel D.; Stirling, John A.R.; Moffatt, Elizabeth A. (1998). "Georgeericksenite, Na6CaMg(IO3)6(CrO4)2(H2O)22" (PDF). American Mineralogist. Retrieved October 15, 2015.