The crystal structure of turneaureite, Ca5(AsO4)3Cl, the arsenate analog of chlorapatite and its relationships with the arsenate apatites johnbaumite and svabite

• The crystal structure of turneaureite, ideally Ca5(AsO4)3Cl, was studied using a specimen from the Brattfors mine, Nordmark, Värmland, Sweden, by means of single-crystal X-ray diffraction data. The structure was refinedto R1 = 0.017 on the basis of 716 unique reflectios with Fo > 4σ(Fo) in the P63/m space group, with unit-cell parameters a = 9.9218(3), c = 6.8638(2) Å, V = 585.16(4) Å3. The chemical composition of the sample, determined by electron-microprobe analysis, is (in wt%; average of 10 spot analyses): SO3 0.22, P2O5 0.20, V2O5 0.01, As2O5 51.76, SiO2 0.06, CaO 41.39, MnO 1.89, SrO 0.12, BaO 0.52, PbO 0.10, Na2O 0.02, F 0.32, Cl 2.56, H2Ocalc 0.58, O(≡F+Cl) –0.71, total 99.04. On the basis of 13 anions per formula unit, the empirical formula corresponds to (Ca4.82Mn0.17Ba0.02Sr0.01)∑5.02 (As2.94P0.02S0.02Si0.01)∑2.99O12[Cl0.47(OH)0.42F0.11]∑1.00.Turneaureite is topologically similar to the other members of the apatite supergroup: columns of face-sharing M1 polyhedra running along c are connected through TO4 tetrahedra with channels hosting M2 cations and X anions. Owing to its particular chemical composition, the studied turneaureite can be considered as a ternary calcium arsenate apatite; consequently it has several partially filledanion sites within the anion columns. Polarized single-crystal FTIR spectra of the studied sample indicate stronger hydrogen bonding and less diverse short-range atom arrangements around (OH) groups in turneaureite as compared to the related minerals johnbaumite and svabite. An accurate knowledge of the atomic arrangement of this apatite-remediation mineral represents an improvement in our understanding of minerals able to sequester and stabilize heavy metals such as arsenic in polluted areas.

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Geovetenskap och miljövetenskap -- Geokemi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Earth and Related Environmental Sciences -- Geochemistry (hsv//eng)

Keyword

The changing Earth

Den föränderliga jorden

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)