Långbanshyttanite, a new low-temperature arsenate mineral with a novel structure from Långban, Sweden

• The new mineral långbanshyttanite was discovered in a specimen from the Långban mine (59.86 degrees N, 14.27 degrees E), Filipstad district, Varmland County, Bergslagen ore province, Sweden. Associated minerals are calcite, Mn-bearing phlogopite, spinels of the jacobsite-magnetite series, antigorite and trigonite. The mineral is named after the old name of the mine, smelter and mining village: Långbanshyttan. Långbanshyttanite is transparent, colourless. It occurs in late-stage fractures or corroded pockets, forming soft, radial and random aggregates (up to 1 mm) of acicular crystals up to 5 x 20 x 400 mu m. D(calc) is 3.951 g/cm(3). The new mineral is biaxial (+), alpha = 1.700(5), beta = 1.741(5), gamma = 1.792(5), 2V (meas.) approximate to 90 degrees, 2V (calc.) = 86 degrees. Dispersion is strong, r < v. The IR spectrum is given. The chemical composition is (electron microprobe, mean of five analyses, wt%): PbO 44.71, MgO 3.79, MnO 13.34, FeO 1.89, P(2)O(5) 0.65, As(2)O(5) 22.90, H(2)O (determined by gas chromatographic analysis of the products of ignition at 1200 degrees C) 14.4; total 101.68. The empirical formula based on 18 O atoms is: Pb(1.97)Mn(1.85)Mg(0.93)Fe(0.26)(AsO(4))(1.96)(PO(4))(0.09)(OH)(3.87)cen ter dot 5.93H(2)O. The simplified formula is: Pb(2)Mn(2)Mg(AsO(4))(2)(OH)(4)center dot 6H(2)O. Single-crystal diffraction data obtained using synchrotron radiation indicate that långbanshyttanite is triclinic, P<(1)over bar>, a = 5.0528(10), b = 5.7671(6), c = 14.617(3) angstrom, alpha = 85.656(14), beta = 82.029(17), gamma = 88.728(13)degrees, V = 420.6(2) angstrom(3), Z = 1, and is a representative of a new structure type. In the structure, edge-sharing MnO(2)(OH)(4) octahedra form zig-zag columns that are linked by isolated AsO(4) tetrahedra. Pb cations having six-fold coordination are located between the AsO(4) tetrahedra. Isolated Mg(H(2)O)(6) octahedra are located in the inter-block space. The strongest lines of the powder diffraction pattern [d, angstrom (I,%) (hkl)] are: 14.48 (100) (001), 7.21 (43) (002), 4.969 (34) (100, 101), 4.798 (28) (003), 3.571 (54) (112, 1-1-1, 01-3, 11-1), 2.857 (45) (020, 021, 114), 2.800 (34) (11-3). Parts of the holotype specimen are deposited in the Fersman Mineralogical Museum of Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia, with the registration number 4032/1 and in the collections of the Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, Sweden, under catalogue number NRM 20100076.

Subject headings

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

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

Keyword

långbanshyttanite

new mineral

new structure type

arsenate

Langban

Bergslagen ore province

Sweden

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)