Cattierite

Cattierit is a rarely occurring mineral from the mineral class of sulfides and sulfosalts. It crystallizes in a cubic crystal system having a chemical composition CoS2 and forms up to a centimeter, cubic crystals or granular adhesions with other sulfides of gray - white color.

Etymology and history

The mineral was first in 1945 by P.F. Kerr in the Shinkolobwe mine in the same city in the province of Katanga, Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly the Belgian Congo ) found. He named it after Félicien Cattier, the former director of the mining company Union Minière du Haut Katanga.

Classification

In the classification by Strunz Cattierit is counted among the sulfides and sulfosalts. After the 8th edition forms together with Aurostibit, Laurit, Changchengit, Dzharkenit, Erlichmanit, Fukuchilit, Geversit, Hauerite, Insizwait, Krut'ait, Maslovit, Mayingit, Michenerit, Padmait, Penroseite, pyrite, Sperrylite, Testibiopalladit, Trogtalit, Vaesit and Villamaninit pyrite group, a sub-group of the sulfides with a ratio of metal to sulfur, selenium or tellurium, of < 1:1. In the 9th edition it forms with Aurostibit, Bambollait, beta iridisit, Laurit, Dzharkenit, Erlichmanit, Fukuchilit, Gaotaiit, Geversit, Hauerite, Insizwait, Krutaite, Penroseite, pyrite, Sperrylite, Trogtalit, Vaesit and Villamanínit a subset of the sulfides with a ratio of sulfur to metal of 1:2, and iron, cobalt, nickel or platinum group elements (PGE ).

In the classification by Dana, it belongs to the pyrite group, a subgroup of the sulfides, selenides and tellurides with the composition AmBn Xp, with (m n): p = 1:2.

Modifications and varieties

Cattierit together with pyrite and Vaesit mixed crystal series, in which the cobalt can be replaced with iron or nickel.

Education and Locations

Cattierit found in carbonate rocks. It is associated with pyrite, chalcopyrite and minerals of Linnaeit - Polydymit group.

There are a total of 19 known localities (April 2010 ) of the Cattierits. In addition to the type locality was found the mineral in Timmins, Ontario (Canada), Liberec in the Czech Republic, Kuusamo in Finland, Oberwolfach, Hohensachsen, sweet, Stolberg, Imsbach and snow mountain in Germany, Boumalne Dades Morocco, Filipstad in Sweden, Kaisten in the Switzerland and the U.S. states of Colorado, Missouri and North Carolina.

Crystal structure

Cattierit crystallizes in the cubic crystal system in space group Pa3 with the lattice parameters a = 5.52 Å and four formula units per unit cell.