Hureaulite

Summary

Hureaulite is a manganese phosphate with the formula Mn2+5(PO3OH)2(PO4)2·4H2O. It was discovered in 1825 and named in 1826 for the type locality, Les Hureaux, Saint-Sylvestre, Haute-Vienne, Limousin, France. It is sometimes written as huréaulite, but the IMA does not recommend this for English language text.[7]

Hureaulite
Hureaulite from the Cigana Claim, Conselheiro Pena, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Specimen size 2.8 cm.
General
CategoryPhosphate minerals
Formula
(repeating unit)
Mn2+5(PO3OH)2(PO4)2·4H2O
IMA symbolHur[1]
Strunz classification8.CB.10 (10 ed)
7/C.04-10 (8 ed)
Dana classification39.2.1.1
Crystal systemMonoclinic
Crystal classPrismatic (2/m)
(same H-M symbol)
Space groupC2/c
Unit cella = 17.594(10) Å
b = 9.086(5) Å
c = 9.404(5) Å
β = 96.67(8)°; Z = 4
Identification
Formula mass728.65 g/mol
ColourOrange, red, yellow, brown, grey or nearly colourless
Crystal habitCrystals are short prismatic parallel to (100) or equant, sometimes thick tabular, also massive or imperfectly fibrous[2]
Cleavage{100} good
FractureUneven
TenacityBrittle
Mohs scale hardness3.5
LustreVitreous to greasy
StreakNearly white
DiaphaneityTransparent to translucent
Specific gravity3.18–3.2 (measured), 3.23 (calculated)
Optical propertiesBiaxial (−)
Refractive indexnα = 1.640 – 1.654 nβ = 1.649 – 1.659 nγ = 1.655 – 1.662
Birefringenceδ = 0.012
PleochroismX colourless, Y yellow to pale rose, Z reddish yellow to reddish brown
2V anglegreater than 60°
Dispersionr<v, very strong[3]
SolubilityEasily soluble in acids.
References[3][4][5][6]

A complete series exists from lithiophilite, LiMn2+PO4 to triphylite, LiFe2+PO4, including hureaulite, strengite, FePO4·2H2O, stewartite, Mn2+Fe3+2(OH,PO4)2·8H2O, and sicklerite, (LiMn2+,Fe3+)PO4.[8]

Environment edit

Hureaulite is a secondary mineral occurring in granite pegmatites.[6] At the type locality it occurs in a zone of altered triphylite, LiMn2+PO4, in pegmatite. Typically occurs very late in the sequence of formation of secondary phosphate minerals.[9] Associated at the type locality with vivianite, Fe2+3(PO4)2·8H2O; rockbridgeite, Fe2+Fe3+4(PO4)3(OH)5; heterosite, (Fe3+,Mn3+)PO4 and cacoxenite, Fe3+24AlO6(PO4)17(OH)12·17H2O. It can be synthesised;[10] most natural hureaulites are Mn-rich compounds but extensive (Mn,Fe) solution is known for synthetic material.[9]

Localities edit

The type locality is Les Hureaux, Saint-Sylvestre, Haute-Vienne, Limousin, France. Hureaulite is also found in a granite pegmatite known for its phosphates in the Aimorés pegmatite district, at the Cigana claim in Galiléia, Doce valley, Minas Gerais, Brazil, formerly known as the Jocão Mine.[4]

References edit

  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. ^ Murdoch, Joseph (1942) Contributions to the Crystallography of Hureaulite. American Mineralogist 27: 228
  3. ^ a b Gaines et al (1997) Dana's New Mineralogy Eighth Edition
  4. ^ a b http://www.mindat.org/min-1952.html Mindat.org
  5. ^ Shigley and Brown (1985) American Mineralogist 70:395
  6. ^ a b Roberts, Campbell and Rapp (1990) Encyclopedia of Minerals, 2nd edition
  7. ^ Burke, E. A. J. (2008): Tidying up Mineral Names: An IMA scheme for Suffixes, Hyphens and Diacritical Marks. Mineralogical Record, 39, 134
  8. ^ Murdoch, Joseph (1943) Crystallography of Hureaulite. American Mineralogist 28: 19-24
  9. ^ a b Moore, P B, and Araki, T (1973) Hureaulite: its atomic arrangement. American Mineralogist 58: 302-307.
  10. ^ Gerault, Y, Riou, A, and Cudennec, Y (1987) Acta Crystallographica (C) 43:1829