Mawsonite

Mawsonite
General
Category Sulfosalt minerals
Formula
(repeating unit)
Cu6Fe2SnS8
Strunz classification 2.CB.20
Crystal system Tetragonal
Space group Tetragonal scalenohedral
H-M symbol: (42m)
Space group: P4m2
Unit cell a = 7.603 Å, c = 5.358 Å, Z = 1; V = 309.72 Å3
Identification
Color Brownish orange
Crystal habit Exsolution grains within bornite
Mohs scale hardness 3.5-4
Luster Metallic
Diaphaneity Opaque
Specific gravity 4.65 (calculated)
Pleochroism Strong
Common impurities Zn,Se
Other characteristics Magnetic
References [1][2][3]

Mawsonite is a brownish orange sulfosalt mineral, containing copper, iron, tin, and sulfur: Cu6Fe2SnS8.[1]

Discovery and occurrence

It was first described in 1965 for occurrences in the Royal George mine, Swinton, Tingha, Hardinge County, New South Wales; and the North Lyell mine, Mount Lyell Mines, Queenstown district, Tasmania. It was named for Australian geologist and Antarctic explorer, Sir Douglas Mawson (1882–1958).[1] It occurs within hydrothermal copper deposits in altered volcanic rocks. It also occurs in skarn deposits and as disseminations in altered granites. It occurs in association with bornite, pyrite, chalcopyrite, chalcocite, digenite, idaite, stannite, stannoidite, pyrrhotite, pentlandite, tennantite, enargite, luzonite–famatinite, kiddcreekite, mohite, native bismuth, galena and sphalerite.[2]

References

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 8/13/2013. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.