Attikaite, Ca3Cu2Al2(AsO4)4(OH)4 · 2H2O, a new mineral species

Abstract

Attikaite, a new mineral species, has been found together with arsenocrandalite, arsenogoyazite, conichalcite, olivenite, philipsbornite, azurite, malachite, carminite, beudantite, goethite, quartz, and allophane at the Christina Mine No. 132, Kamareza, Lavrion District, Attiki Prefecture (Attika), Greece. The mineral is named after the type locality. It forms spheroidal segregations (up to 0.3 mm in diameter) consisting of thin flexible crystals up to 3 × 20 × 80 μm in size. Its color is light blue to greenish blue, with a pale blue streak. The Mohs’ hardness is 2 to 2.5. The cleavage is eminent mica-like parallel to {001}. The density is 3.2(2) g/cm3 (measured in heavy liquids) and 3.356 g/cm3 (calculated). The wave numbers of the absorption bands in the infrared spectrum of attikaite are (cm−1; sh is shoulder; w is a weak band): 3525sh, 3425, 3180, 1642, 1120w, 1070w, 1035w, 900sh, 874, 833, 820, 690w, 645w, 600sh, 555, 486, 458, and 397. Attikaite is optically biaxial, negative, α = 1.642(2), β = γ = 1.644(2) (X = c) 2Vmeans = 10(8)°, and 2Vcalc = 0°. The new mineral is microscopically colorless and nonpleochroic. The chemical composition (electron microprobe, average over 4 point analyses, wt %) is: 0.17 MgO, 17.48 CaO, 0.12 FeO, 16.28 CuO, 10.61 Al2O3, 0.89 P2O5, 45.45 As2O5, 1.39 SO3, and H2O (by difference) 7.61, where the total is 100.00. The empirical formula calculated on the basis of (O,OH,H2O)22 is: Ca2.94Cu1.932+ Al1.97Mg0.04Fe0.022+ [(As3.74S0.16P0.12)Σ4.02O16.08](OH)3.87 · 2.05H2 O. The simplified formula is Ca3Cu2Al2(AsO4)4(OH)4 · 2H2O. Attikaite is orthorhombic, space group Pban, Pbam or Pba2; the unit-cell dimensions are a = 10.01(1), b = 8.199(5), c = 22.78(1) A, V = 1870(3) A3, and Z = 4. In the result of the ignition of attikaite for 30 to 35 min at 128–140°, the H2O bands in the IR spectrum disappear, while the OH-group band is not modified; the weight loss is 4.3%, which approximately corresponds to two H2O molecules per formula; and parameter c decreases from 22.78 to 18.77 A. The strongest reflections in the X-ray powder diffraction pattern [d, A (I, %)((hkl)] are: 22.8(100)(001), 11.36(60)(002), 5.01(90)(200), 3.38(5)(123, 205), 2.780(70)(026), 2.682(30)(126), 2.503(50)(400), 2.292(20)(404). The type material of attikaite is deposited in the Fersman Mineralogical Museum, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow. The registration number is 3435/1.