Plumbogummite
{{short description|Alunite supergroup, phosphate mineral}}
{{Infobox mineral
| name = Plumbogummite
| category = Phosphate minerals
| boxwidth =
| boxbgcolor =
| image = Plumbogummite-pg10c.jpg
| imagesize = 260px
| caption =
| formula = PbAl3(PO4)2(OH)5·H2O
| molweight = 581.14 g/mol
| strunz = 8.BL.10
| dana = 42.7.3.5
| system = Trigonal
| class = Hexagonal scalenohedral ({{overline|3}}m)
H-M symbol: ({{overline|3}} 2/m)
| symmetry = R{{overline|3}}m
| color = Blue, grey, greenish or yellow
| habit = Crystals, rare, have a hexagonal outline
| lattice =
| twinning =
| cleavage = None
| fracture = Uneven or sub-conchoidal
| tenacity = Brittle
| luster = Resinous or dull
| refractive = no = 1.653 or 1.653 to 1.688
ne = 1.675 or 1.675 to 1.704
no = 1.722 and ne = 1.742 for Ga-rich plumbogummiteMineralogical Magazine (2009) 73(5), 837–845
| opticalprop = Uniaxial (+), segments of crystals may be biaxial
| birefringence =
| streak = White
| gravity = 4.014
| density =
| melt =
| fusibility =
| diagnostic =
| solubility = Soluble in hot acids
| diaphaneity = Translucent
| other = Non-fluorescent, not radioactive
| references = [http://www.mindat.org/min-3247.html Mindat.org][http://www.webmineral.com/data/Plumbogummite.shtml Webmineral data]Gaines et al (1997) Dana's New Mineralogy Eighth Edition, Wiley[http://rruff.geo.arizona.edu/doclib/hom/plumbogummite.pdf Handbook of Mineralogy]}}
Plumbogummite is a rare secondary lead phosphate mineral, belonging to the alunite supergroup of minerals, crandallite subgroup. Some other members of this subgroup are:
- Crandallite, CaAl3(PO4)2(OH)5·H2O, where calcium replaces lead
- Goyazite, SrAl3(PO4)2(OH)5·H2O, where strontium replaces lead
- Philipsbornite, PbAl3(AsO4)2(OH)5·H2O, where the arsenate group AsO4 replaces the phosphate group PO4
Plumbogummite was discovered in 1819 and named in 1832 from the Latin "plumbum" for lead, and "gummi" for gum, in allusion to its lead content and appearance, which at times resembles coatings of gum.
Unit cell
Plumbogummite crystallizes in space group R{{overline|3}}m. The reported lattice parameters (the lengths of the sides of the unit cell) vary in detail according to the source, but all agree that normal plumbogummite has "a" close to 7 Å and "c" close to 17 Å, with Z=3. Various reported values of "a" and "c"are:
:a = 7.01 Å, 7.017 Å, 7.018 Å, 7.033 Å
:c = 16.71Å, 16.75 Å, 16.784 Å, 16.789 Å
Mills et al. investigated a gallium-rich sample of plumbogummite from Tsumeb, Namibia, and found larger cell parameters, with a = 7.0752 Å and c = 16.818 Å.
Structure
The basic structural units of plumbogummite are PO4 tetrahedra, with phosphorus atoms (P) at the center and oxygen atoms (O) at the corners, together with AlO6 octahedra, aluminium atoms (Al) at the center and oxygen atoms at the corners. The tetrahedra and octahedra combine by sharing corners, to form composite layers. Lead atoms (Pb) occupy sites between the layers.
Environment
Plumbogummite is found in the oxidized zones of lead-bearing deposits. It commonly occurs as botryoidal, kidney shaped, stalactitic or globular crusts or masses, frequently with a concentric structure; rare crystals have a hexagonal outline. Pyromorphite and baryte are commonly associated minerals, and plumbogummite may be pseudomorphic after them. Other associated minerals include mimetite, duftite, cerussite, anglesite and wulfenite.
Occurrence
The type locality is Huelgoat, Finistère, Brittany, France, and the type material is stored in the Natural History Museum, Paris, France.
Plumbogummite has been found in the Central Cobar Mines, New South Wales, AustraliaAustralian Journal of Mineralogy 11-2, 77 and the Nifty Copper Mine, Western Australia.Australian Journal of Mineralogy 12-1, 28 Also in the Kintore open cut at Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia, but it is generally inconspicuous there and only a few specimens have been collected.Australian Journal of Mineralogy 3-1, 32 and 50
Material from the Siglio XX Mine, Llallagua, Bolivia, is an unusual pale yellow color, rather than the more common blue or green, forming crusts on quartz and cassiterite, and enclosing crude octahedral jeanbandyite crystals with orange colored shells of plumbogummite.Mineralogical Record 37-2, 127 and 148
References
{{commons category| Plumbogummite}}
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External links
- [http://rruff.geo.arizona.edu/AMS/viewJmol.php?id=06697 The structure of Plumbogummite]