Albertiniite, Fe2+(SO3)·3H2O, a new sulfite mineral species from the Monte Falò Pb-Zn mine, Coiromonte, Armeno Municipality, Verbano Cusio Ossola Province, Piedmont, Italy

Abstract

AbstractAlbertiniite, Fe2+(SO3)·3H2O, is a new Fe2+ sulfite trihydrate, related chemically to gravegliaite. It occurs at the Monte Falò Pb-Zn mine near Coiromonte, in the Armeno Municipality, Verbano–Cusio–Ossola Province, Italy. It is an intermediate product of oxidation between iron sulfides and sulfates, forming monoclinic, colourless to pale yellow, transparent crystals with a vitreous lustre. The mineral occurs associated with stolzite, pyromorphite, hinsdalite, plumbogummite, gibbsite, scheelite and jarosite on brittle fractures of quartz veins or chlorite-schist. Albertiniite is optically biaxial (+) with 2V(meas) ≈ 40° and 2V(calc) = 66°. The measured refractive indices, using sodium light (589 nm) are: α = 1.612(2)°, β = 1.618(2)° and γ = 1.632(2)°. The optical axis plane is parallel to the perfect {010} cleavage plane. It is non-fluorescent under shortwave (254 nm) or longwave (366 nm) ultraviolet light. The calculated density is 2.469 g cm–3 (from the crystal-structure refinement), or 2.458 g cm–3 (from the chemical analysis and the single-crystal unit-cell parameters). The empirical formula is (average of 16 spots and based on 3 anhydrous oxygen apfu) (Ca0.001Mg0.001Na0.003)∑1.061(S0.971O3)·2.84H2O, with the H2O content calculated by difference to 100 wt.%. Albertiniite is monoclinic, with space group P21/n. Its unit-cell parameters are: a = 6.633(1), b = 8.831(1), c = 8.773(1) Å, β = 96.106(8)° and V = 511.0(1) Å3, with Z = 4. The eight strongest measured lines in the powder X-ray diffraction pattern are [d in Å, (I/I0), (hkl)]: 4.072 (100) (1̄11), 3.539 (93) (1̄12), 5.533 (27) (1̄01), 6.167 (14) (011), 2.830 (14) (211), 4.998 (14) (101), 4.353 (12) (111) and 3.897 (12) (012). The mineral, which has been approved by the CNMNC, number IMA2015-004, is named albertiniite in honour of Claudio Albertini, an Italian mineral collector and expert in the systematic mineralogy of the Alps and pegmatites.