Abstract A new mineral species, yuchuanite-(Y), ideally Y2(CO3)3·H2O, has been discovered and characterized in the Yushui Cu deposit in South China. The mineral occurs in bedded/massive ore and is associated with bornite, chalcopyrite, galena, sphalerite, bastnäsite-(Y), xenotime-(Y), anhydrite, and quartz. Individual crystals range in size from 30 to 300 μm. No twinning is observed. The mineral is colorless and transparent with a vitreous luster. The calculated density is 3.62 g/cm3. An electron microprobe analysis yields the empirical formula (based on 10 O apfu), (Y1.61Yb0.11Er0.11Dy0.08Ho0.03 Gd0.02Tm0.02)Σ1.99(CO3)3·H2O. Yuchuanite-(Y) is triclinic, with space group P1 (#2), Z = 6, and unit-cell parameters a = 6.2134(3) Å, b = 8.9697(3) Å, c = 19.9045(7) Å, α = 91.062(3)°, β = 90.398(3)°, γ = 91.832(3)°, and V = 1108.54(8) Å3. The structure is constructed from (110) sheets of eight-coordinated Y polyhedra and C trigonal planar groups. All Y polyhedra are linked by shared edges. The Y atoms occupy six independent crystallographic sites of two different coordination types: [YO7(H2O)] and [YO8]. The chemical composition of yuchuanite-(Y) is similar to tengerite-(Y), Y2(CO3)3·2–3H2O, but is distinct in the crystal structure, such as crystal system, space group, and unit cell, from that of tengerite-(Y). The Y polyhedra of tengerite-(Y) are nine-coordinated, while those of yuchuanite-(Y) are eight-coordinated. Moreover, their structures could be both described as sheet structures built up from Y polyhedra and CO3 trigonal planar groups but link together in significantly different ways. Thus, yuchuanite-(Y) is not a polytype of tengerite-(Y) but is an independent mineral species.
Abstract Mineral phases in which vanadium (V) and heavy-rare-earth elements (HREEs) coexist are rarely documented. Here, we report a new V-HREE-bearing silicate mineral species, wenlanzhangite-(Y), which is a vanadiferous derivate of jingwenite-(Y) [Y2Al2V24+(SiO4)2O4(OH)4] coexisting with jingwenite-(Y) in bedded/massive ores at Yushui, South China. Wenlanzhangite-(Y) forms as a dark brown, 70–100 μm thick rim on a core domain of jingwenite-(Y), which occurs as 100–200 μm columnar crystals. The color, streak, luster, and hardness (Mohs) are dark brown, yellow-gray, vitreous, and ~4, respectively. Compared to jingwenite-(Y), wenlanzhangite-(Y) has higher vanadium and lower aluminum contents. Calculated on the basis of 8 cations, the empirical formula is (Y1.26Dy0.17Er0.11 Gd0.09Yb0.09Nd0.09Sm0.06Sc0.04Ho0.03Ce0.02Tb0.02Tm0.02Pr0.01)Σ2.00(V1.463+Al0.54)Σ2.00V24+(SiO4)2O4(OH)4, which can be simplified to the ideal formula Y2V23+V24+(SiO4)2O4(OH)4. Wenlanzhangite-(Y) is triclinic, with space group P1(#2), Z = 2, and unit-cell parameters a = 5.9632(7) Å, b = 9.599(1) Å, c = 9.9170(9) Å, α = 90.033(8)°, β = 98.595(2)°, γ = 90.003(9)°, and V = 561.28(10) Å3. Wenlanzhangite-(Y) is approved by the International Mineralogical Association Commission on New Minerals, Nomenclature and Classification (IMA2022-142). The structure of wenlanzhangite-(Y) is composed of a-axis-oriented chains of [VO6] octahedra consisting of edge-sharing octahedra linked by insular [SiO4] tetrahedra, leaving open channels occupied by rare earth elements. Observed compositional variation and crystal structure demonstrate that V3+ can substitute for Al3+ in jingwenite-(Y), forming wenlanzhangite-(Y). The occurrence of wenlanzhangite-(Y) indicates a relatively more reducing hydrothermal environment, causing a reduction of V5+ in oxidized fluids to V3+ and thus represents a useful proxy for tracing the redox state of ore formation.
Previous geochemical and petrological studies have concluded that initially magmatic Nb–Ta mineralization is often modified by post-magmatic hydrothermal fluids; however, there is still a lack of mineralogical evidence for the syenite-related Nb–Ta deposit. From the perspective of Nb–Ta minerals, the pyrochlore supergroup minerals have significance for indicating the fluid evolution of alkaline rock or related carbonatite type Nb–Ta deposits. The Panzhihua–Xichang (Panxi) region is a famous polymetallic metallogenic belt in southwestern China, abound with a huge amount of Nb–Ta mineralized syenitic dikes. This study focuses on the mineral textures and chemical compositions of the main Nb–Ta oxide minerals (including columbite-(Fe), fersmite, fergusonite-(Y), and especially pyrochlore group minerals) in samples from the Baicao and Xiaoheiqing deposits, in the Huili area, Panxi region, to reveal the magma evolution process of syenitic-dike-related Nb–Ta deposits. The Nb–Ta oxides in the Huili syenites are commonly characterized by a specific two-stage texture on the crystal scale, exhibiting a complex metasomatic structure and compositional zoning. Four types of pyrochlore group minerals (pyrochlores I, II, III, and IV) formed in different stages were identified. The euhedral columbite-(Fe), fersmite, and pyrochlores I and II minerals formed in the magmatic fractional crystallization stage. Anhedral pyrochlore III minerals are linked to the activity of magma-derived hydrothermal fluids at the late stages of magma evolution. The pyrochlore IV minerals and fergusonite-(Y) tend to be more concentrated in areas that have undergone strong albitization, which is a typical phenomenon of hydrothermal alteration. These mineralogical phenomena provide strong evidences that the magmatic-hydrothermal transitional stage is the favored model for explaining the Nb–Ta mineralization process. It is also concluded that the changes in chemical composition and texture characteristics for pyrochlore group minerals could serve as a proxy for syenite-related Nb–Ta mineralization processes.
Abstract. A new member of the non-stoichiometric perovskite group mineral species, liguowuite, ideally WO3, has been found in the Neoproterozoic Sinian biotite-quartz monzonite in the southern part of the Panzhihua–Xichang region (Nanyang village: 26∘46′8.21′′ N, 101∘27′13.86′′ E), China. It is associated with hornblende, pargasite, ferro-hornblende, annite, hydrobiotite, phlogopite, orthoclase, microcline, albite, quartz, kaolinite, ilmenite, goethite, hematite, magnetite, pyrite, zircon, zoisite, titanite, epidote, diopside, tourmaline, almandine, fluorapatite, monazite-(Ce), allanite-(Ce), bastnäsite-(Ce), xenotime-(Y), scheelite, moissanite, tellurite, wumuite, and tewite. Liguowuite occurs as greenish yellow prisms, ranging from 0.05 to 0.1 mm in diameter, and it is transparent with a greasy luster and a white streak. Liguowuite exhibits a triclinic pseudomorphism composed of nanoparticles with many cracks and nanovoids. This mineral is brittle and has a Mohs hardness value of approximately 3–4. The calculated density is 7.22 g cm−3. Electron microprobe analyses gave (average weight percent, wt %, of 15 spot analyses of 4 samples) K2O = 0.01, WO3 = 99.23, TeO2 = 0.03, CaO = 0.06, Na2O = 0.04, and total 99.37, yielding the empirical formula W1.00O3, based on Oapfu=3 and ideally WO3. The strongest five diffraction lines (d Å (I)(hkl)) are 3.8552 (88)(002), 3.7685 (88)(020), 3.6590 (100)(–200), 2.6928 (43)(022), and 2.6258 (60)(202). Liguowuite is monoclinic and is in space group P21/n, with a= 7.32582(18) Å, b= 7.54767(18) Å, c= 7.71128(18) Å, β= 90.678(3)∘, V= 426.348(19) Å3, and Z= 8. The crystal structure data were refined using the Rietveld refinement method and X-ray powder diffraction data. The reliability factors (R factors) were Rwp= 0.0604 and Rp= 0.0454, with χ2 = 1.707. Liguowuite consists of corner-sharing distorted and tilted [WO6] octahedra, in which the W atoms are off-center and form six W–O bonds ranging from 1.7 to 2.2 Å with the surrounding oxygen atoms. According to the hierarchical scheme for perovskite supergroup minerals, liguowuite is the first reported example of A-site vacant single oxide, i.e., a new perovskite subgroup.
Abstract Cuprozheshengite, Pb4CuZn2(AsO4)2(PO4)2(OH)2, is a new mineral species from Yunnan, China. It occurs as sub-millimeter greenish-blue hemispherical aggregates of microscopic blade-like crystals on hemimorphite and is closely associated with veszelyite and galena. Cuprozheshengite is brittle with irregular fracture and has a Mohs hardness of 2½–3 and perfect cleavages on {011}. The calculated density is 5.91 g/cm3. The empirical chemical formula of the holotype is (Pb3.97Na0.04Ca0.01)Σ4.02Cu1.06 Zn2.09(AsO4)2[(P0.84As0.12Si0.01)Σ0.97O4]2(OH)2 based on 18 O atoms per formula unit. Cuprozheshengite is triclinic, space group P1, with unit-cell parameters a = 4.7977(8), b = 8.5789(8), c = 10.3855(9) Å, α = 97.270(8)°, β = 101.902(12)°, γ = 91.495(11)°, V = 414.30(9) Å3, and Z = 1. Cuprozheshengite is a member of dongchuanite group, whose general formula is A4VIBIVB2(X1O4)2(X2O4)2(OH)2, where A is an interlayer cation with Pb being dominant; B are transition metals with two crystallographic positions, IVB has tetrahedral coordination and is fully occupied by Zn, while VIB has octahedral coordination and is dominated by Zn or Cu; X1 and X2 are cations with tetrahedral coordination, occupied by As and P. Like other dongchuanite group minerals, the structural framework of cuprozheshengite is composed of two heteropolyhedral columns along [100]. Type 1 columns comprise corner-linked [IVBO4] and [X2O4] tetrahedra. Each tetrahedron is connected with three other tetrahedra in the columns. Type 2 columns have alternating [VIBO4(OH)2] octahedra with pairs of corner-connected [X1O4] tetrahedra. These two columns are connected by corner-sharing between [IVBO4] and [X1O4] tetrahedra to form layers parallel to (011). Pb atoms occupy two independent sites between the layers. Cuprozheshengite is named as the copper analog of zheshengite. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction reveals that As and P order over the X1 and X2 sites, with As tending to occupy X1. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations confirm the occupancy propensity of As benefiting structural stability. The structural and stability studies of cuprozheshengite may have implications for local environmental governance. As a stable mineral in the water and elemental cycles after weathering, cuprozheshengite still has the potential to continually crystallize, fixing As into a stable crystalline waste form.
Abstract Dongchuanite, ideally Pb 4 VI Zn IV Zn 2 (PO 4 ) 2 (PO 4 ) 2 (OH) 2 , is a new phosphate mineral with a new type of structure. It was found at the Dongchuan copper mine, Yunnan Province, People's Republic of China. Dongchuanite generally occurs as spherical aggregates with microscopic lamellar crystals, characterised by a turquoise–greenish blue colour. It is transparent, with a colourless streak and has a vitreous lustre without fluorescence. It is brittle with a Mohs hardness of 2–2½, and has good parallel cleavage to {011}, with insignificant parting and even fracture. According to the empirical formula and cell volume, it has a calculated density of 6.06 g/cm 3 . It easily dissolves in acid without gas being emitted. The mineral is biaxial (–), calculated n = 1.90 and maximum birefringence: δ = 0.010 and 2V=70°. Dispersion of the optical axes r < v is very weak. The mineral is pale blue to light blue and very weakly pleochroic in transmitted light. Dongchuanite crystallises in the triclinic space group P $\bar{1}$ , with unit-cell parameters a = 4.7620(10) Å, b = 8.5070(20) Å, c = 10.3641(19) Å, α = 97.110(17)°, β = 101.465(17)°, γ = 92.273(18)°, V = 407.44(15) Å 3 and Z = 1. The eight strongest reflections in the powder X-ray diffraction pattern [ d obs , Å ( I / I 0 ) ( hkl )] are: 3.442 (100) ( $\bar{1}$ 12), 3.035 (50) (120), 4.652 (45) (100), 2.923 (40) ( $\bar{1}\bar{1}$ 3), 2.384 (35) ( $\bar{2}$ 01), 3.130 (30) ( $\bar{1}$ 21), 2.811 (30) (030) and 2.316 (18) (032). The crystal structure (solved and refined from single-crystal X-ray diffraction data, R 1 = 0.07) is a new layered structure consisting of corner-sharing tetrahedrons and octahedrons, where [PO 4 ] tetrahedra and [ZnO 4 ] tetrahedra share corners to form a double chain, and the another [PO 4 ] tetrahedra is connected by corner-sharing with a [ZnO 4 (OH) 2 ] octahedra to form a tetrahedral–octahedral chain, extending along the a- axis direction. The two types of chains are connected by corner-sharing between [ZnO 4 ] and [PO 4 ] tetrahedra forming a wrinkled layer parallel to (011). The Pb atoms occupy two independent sites between the wrinkled layers, both of which have typical lopsided coordination of Pb 2+ with stereoactive 6s 2 lone-pair electrons.
Abstract Berndlehmannite, Cu(CrV)S4, is a newly identified V-bearing sulfide mineral discovered in the black shale-hosted Zhongcun vanadium deposit, South China. It is abundant in a phosphatic nodule-rich layer and is commonly mineralogically associated with roscoelite, quartz, and framboidal pyrite. Berndlehmannite exhibits black color in hand specimens with a black streak and it comprises subhedral grains that vary in size from 20 to 120 μm. The mineral is opaque with a cream-colored polished surface under reflected light. It has a Mohs hardness of 3½ with a {111} perfect cleavage, and its calculated density is 4.17 g·cm−3. Berndlehmannite is cubic, with space group Fd-3m; the unit-cell parameters determined from powder data are a = 9.8585(22) Å, V = 958.1(6) Å3, and Z = 8. The unit-cell parameters by single-crystal X-ray diffraction are a = 9.8374(2) Å, V = 952.01(6) Å3, Z = 8, and the final value of R is 0.015. The mineral is a member of the carrollite subgroup within the thiospinel group, featuring (Cr,V)S6 in octahedral coordination and CuS4 in tetrahedral coordination. The calculated empirical formula from electron-probe microanalysis is (Cu+0.99Zn0.02)Σ1.01(Cr3+0.87V4+1.00Sb0.07As0.04)Σ1.98S4.01 with an average V content of 17.0 wt%. It has the highest V component compared to other V-bearing minerals in black shales and may provide new insight into the vanadium enrichment mechanism in black shales. Berndlehmannite is named to honor Bernd Lehmann (1950- ), Professor emeritus of Economic Geology at Technische Universität Clausthal, Germany.
Zheshengite (IMA2022-011), Pb4ZnZn2(AsO4)2(PO4)2(OH)2, is a new mineral from Sanguozhuang Village in the eastern Dongchuan Copper Ore Field, Yunnan Province, China. The new mineral is named after Zhesheng Ma (1937–). Zheshengite occurs as prismatic single crystals with chisel-like terminations on hemimorphite, with crystal sizes ranging from 0.02 to 0.05 mm. It is a brittle mineral with irregular fractures, a Mohs hardness of 2½ to 3, perfect cleavage on {011}, and a calculated density of 6.26 g/cm3. The empirical formula of zheshengite, based on 18 O atoms per formula unit, is (Pb4.12Ca0.01)∑4.13(Zn0.83Cu0.23Fe0.04)∑1.10Zn2.00[(As0.90P0.10)∑1.00O4]2[(P0.94Si0.01)∑0.95O4]2(OH)2. Zheshengite exhibits a triclinic structure (space group P−1, no. 2), with unit-cell parameters: a = 4.7746(4) Å, b = 8.4920 (7) Å, c = 10.4056 (8) Å, α = 97.087 (7)°, β = 101.060 (7)°, γ = 92.996 (7)°, V = 409.66 (6) Å3, and Z = 1. As a member of the dongchuanite group, zheshengite features a dongchuanite-type structure. This study reveals the impact of As–P isomorphic substitution on unit-cell parameters in the dongchuanite group, identifying correlations between As content and changes in parameters a and V, which may serve as diagnostic indicators for dongchuanite group minerals. In addition, the structure studies of zheshengite may have implications for environmental protection.
Abstract Hydroplumboelsmoreite (IMA21-C), (Pb,□) 2 (W,Fe 3+ ) 2 O 6 (H 2 O), is a redefined elsmoreite-group mineral in the pyrochlore supergroup. It was found in a ‘jixianite’ cotype specimen provided by Mr. Liu Jianchang, who first found ‘jixianite’ in 1979 in the Jizhou District, Tianjin City, China. The mineral occurs as yellow to reddish brown aggregates, together with raspite and another elsmoreite-group mineral under study. Hydroplumboelsmoreite occurs in cryptocrystalline form and occasionally in octahedral microcrystalline form (under 20 μm in size). The crystals are colourless and translucent with a white streak, and the lustre is adamantine to greasy. Hydroplumboelsmoreite is isotropic, with a calculated refractive index of 2.29, a Mohs hardness of ~4½–5, and a calculated density of 7.47 g⋅cm −3 . The strongest five powder X-ray diffraction lines [ d in Å( I )( hkl )] are 6.070(28)(111), 3.012(100)(222), 2.603(32)(004), 1.836(35)(044) and 1.568(30)(226). The crystal structure was refined to R 1 = 0.0459 using 80 unique reflections collected with Mo K α radiation, and the results show that the mineral is cubic, space group Fd $\bar{3}$ m , with a = 10.3377(5) Å, V = 1104.77(16) Å 3 and Z = 8. Electron microprobe analyses and crystal structure refinement were used to determine the empirical formula: (Pb 1.05 Sr 0.05 Ce 3+ 0.07 Na 0.01 □ 0.82 ) Σ2.00 (W 1.32 Fe 3+ 0.67 Zr 0.01 ) Σ2.00 O 6 [(H 2 O) 0.43 O 0.19 □ 0.38 ] Σ1.00 . The mineral was named hydroplumboelsmoreite based on the predominance of Pb, W, and molecular H 2 O in the A , B and Y sites, respectively.