Mooihoekite
- IMA 1971-019
Mooihoekit is a very rare mineral from the mineral class of sulfides and sulfosalts. It crystallizes in the tetragonal crystal system with the chemical composition Cu9Fe9S16 and forms sebis to 1 mm pale yellow grains that are intergrown with Haycockit.
Etymology and history
The mineral was first described in 1972 by Louis J. Cabri and Sydney R. Hall. It has been found that type material as early as 1929 by E. Sampson on the Mooihoek farm near Lydenburg in the eastern Bushveld complex in South Africa. They named it after the site.
Classification
In the classification by Strunz Mooihoekit is classified in the sulfides and sulfosalts. It is counted among the sulfides with a ratio of metal to sulfur, selenium or tellurium of 1:1. In the eighth edition, it made with Haycockit, Isocubanit, Putoranit, Orickit, Talnakhit and Wilhelmramsayit a group. In the ninth edition, the sulfides are further subdivided according to cations, there is Mooihoekit mt chalcopyrite, Eskebornit, Haycockit, Laforêtit, Lenait, Putoranit, Gallit, Roquesit and Talnakhit a subset of metal sulfides with a ratio of metal to sulfur, selenium or tellurium of 1 1 and zinc, iron, copper or silver.
In the classification of minerals according to Dana it forms with Haycockit and Talnakhit a subset of the sulfides - tellurides and selenides, including - with the composition AmBn Xp, with (m n): p = 1:1.
Education and Locations
Mooihoekit forms in massive sulphides in dunite or troctolite. It is depending on the locality associated with Haycockit, magnetite, [ Troilite ], copper - pentlandite, mackinawite, sphalerite and Moncheit or Haycockit, copper, troilite, pentlandite, cubanite, and magnetite.
There are a total of 13 known localities of the mineral. In addition to the type locality and other places in South Africa was found Mooihoekit including in Laurion in Greece, Balaghat in India, Berceto in Italy, Suwalki in Poland, Norilsk in Russia, and Duluth ( Minnesota) and Stillwater (Montana) in the United States.
Crystal structure
Mooihoekit crystallizes in the tetragonal crystal system in the space group with the lattice parameters a = 10.585 Å and c = 5.383 Å, and one formula unit per unit cell.