Berthierite

Berthierite (including iron stibnite, Martourit, Anglarit or Chazellit ) is a rarely occurring mineral from the mineral class of sulfides and sulfosalts, specifically a sulfosalt with the chemical composition FeSb2S4. It crystallizes in the orthorhombic crystal system and developed mostly long, prismatic crystals and longitudinally striped, but also fibrous, felt-like and radiating aggregates in steel-gray color, which start after some time until brown colorful colors.

Special Features

Chemically, Berthierite a compound of sulfur, iron ( iron (II ) sulfide ) with antimony sulphide ( stibnite ).

Before the blowtorch to Berthierite can easily melt into black, magnetic slag.

Etymology and history

Was first found the mineral in 1827 by the French mineralogist Pierre Berthier in the type locality Chazelles in the Haute -Loire in France. He named it first by Wilhelm Ritter von Haidinger Haidingerit, as this name, however, was already assigned to another mineral, it was named after the discoverer of Haidinger.

Classification

In the classification by Strunz Berthierite is classified in the sulfides and sulfosalts. It is counted among the sulfosalts. In the eighth edition, it made with Garavellit and Klerit a group. In the ninth edition, it is one of the sulfosalts with tin ( II ) sulfide as a model of copper, silver or iron, but do not contain lead.

In the scheme of minerals by Dana Berthierite forms with Galenobismutit, Sakharovait, Garavellit and Klerit the Galenobismutit subgroup of sulfosalts with the ratio z / y = 2 and the composition (A ) i ( A2 ) j [ Bycz ], A ​​= metals, B = semimetals, C = non-metals.

Education and Locations

Berthierite separates out at relatively low temperature hydrothermal solutions, especially in lead deposits.

Locations include Jujuy and Santa Cruz in Argentina; New South Wales, Tasmania and Victoria in Australia; La Paz and Oruro in Bolivia; Blagoevgrad in Bulgaria; Bräunsdorf / Freiberg in Germany; Cornwall and Cumbria in England; Auvergne and Alsace in France; British Columbia, New Brunswick, Ontario and Quebec in Canada; Burgenland, Carinthia, Salzburg and Tyrol in Austria; Herja in Romania; Matabeleland South and Midlands in Zimbabwe; Poproč in Slovakia; Bohemia and Moravia in the Czech Republic Kutná Hora; and in various states across the United States.

Crystal structure

Berthierite crystallizes in the orthorhombic crystal system with space group. The values ​​of the lattice parameters a = 11.44 Å be; b = 14.12 Å and c = 3.76 Å.

Use

Berthierite used in local accumulation as a raw material for the production of antimony.