Monthly Archives: February 2020

Atacamite and Hibbingite

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Atacamite

  • Named after its type locality, the Atacama desert in Chile.
  • Atacamite is isostructural with Hibbingite [Fe2Cl(OH)3], and Kempite [Mn2Cl(OH)3]
  • In 2002 it was found out that the jaws of the marine bloodworm Glycera dibranchiata contain Atacamite.[1]
  • Atacamite is polymorphous with Botallackite and Clinoatacamite (both monoclinic).
  • Formula: Cu2Cl(OH)3
  • Space group: Pnma (No. 62)
  • Crystal system: orthorhombic
  • Crystal class: mmm
  • Lattice parameters: a = 6.030(2) Å, b =  6.865(2) Å, c = 9.120(2) Å, α = β = γ = 90°

Picture: By Stefan Schorn – CC BY-SA 3.0
http://www.mineralienatlas.de/lexikon/index.php/Bildanzeige?pict=1081079762,
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=399210

Crystal structure[2] (click on the pictures to download the VESTA file):

(K. Momma and F. Izumi, “VESTA 3 for three-dimensional visualization of crystal, volumetric and morphology data,” J. Appl. Crystallogr., 44, 1272-1276 (2011).)

  • CuO5Cl distorted octahedra (orange)
  • CuO4Cl2 distorted octahedra (blue)
  • Oxygen (red)
  • Chlorine (green)
  • Hydrogen (white)

For a 3D interactive version, see here:

https://skfb.ly/6QpQY

References:

[1] H.C. Lichtenegger, Th. Schöberl, M.H. Bartl, H. Waite, G.D. Stucky
Science 2002, 298, 389-392.
DOI: 10.1126/science.1075433

[2] J.B. Parise, B.G. Hyde
Acta Cryst. C 1986, 42, 1277-1280.
DOI: 10.1107/S0108270186092570

Hibbingite

  • Named after its type locality, the city of Hibbing, which was built on the rich iron ore of the Mesabi Iron Range. At the edge of the town is the largest open-pit iron mine in the world.
  • Hibbingite is isostructural with Atacamite [Cu2Cl(OH)3] and Kempite [Mn2Cl(OH)3]
  • Formula: Fe2Cl(OH)3
  • Space group: Pnma (No. 62)
  • Crystal system: orthorhombic
  • Crystal class: mmm
  • Lattice parameters: a = 6.3373(2) Å, b =  6.9892(2) Å, c = 9.3457(3) Å, α = β = γ = 90°

Crystal structure (click on the pictures to download the VESTA file):

(K. Momma and F. Izumi, “VESTA 3 for three-dimensional visualization of crystal, volumetric and morphology data,” J. Appl. Crystallogr., 44, 1272-1276 (2011).)

  • FeO5Cl distorted octahedra (green)
  • FeO4Cl2 distorted octahedra (brown)
  • Oxygen (red)
  • Chlorine (green)
  • Hydrogen (white)

For a 3D interactive version, see here:

https://skfb.ly/6QpRS

Reference:

N.V. Zubkova, I.V. Pekov, E.V. Sereda, V.O. Yapaskurt, D.Y. Pushcharovsky
Z. Kristallogr. 2019, 234 (6), 379-382.
DOI: 10.1515/zkri-2018-2124

 

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Schoenfliesite

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Schoenfliesite

  • Named in 1971 by George T. Faust and Waldemar T. Schaller in honor of Arthur Moritz Schoenflies ( 17 April 1853 – 27 May 1928) Professor of Mathematics, University of Frankfurt. Schoenflies’ researches in group theory and topology resulted in his proof of the 230 space groups.
  • Formula: MgSn(OH)6 
  • Space group: Pn-3 (No. 201)
  • Crystal system: cubic
  • Crystal class: m-3
  • Lattice parameters: a = b = c = 7.7449(4) Å, α = β = γ = 90°

Crystal structure (click on the picture to download the VESTA file):

(K. Momma and F. Izumi, “VESTA 3 for three-dimensional visualization of crystal, volumetric and morphology data,”J. Appl. Crystallogr., 44, 1272-1276 (2011).)

  • MgO6 octahedra (orange)
  • SnO6 octahedra (blue-gray)
  • Hydrogen (white)

For a 3D interactive version on sketchfab, see here:

https://skfb.ly/6QpyS

Reference:

Description of Schoenfliesite, MgSn(OH)6, and Roxbyite, Cu1.72S, from a 1375 BC Shipwreck, and Rietveld Neutron-diffraction Refinement of Synthetic Schoenfliesite, Wickmanite, MnSn(OH)6, and Burtite, CaSn(OH)6
L.C. Basciano, R.C. Peterson, P.L. Roeder
The Canadian Mineralogist 1998, 36, 1203-1210.