Gatehouseite, a new manganese hydroxy phosphate from Iron Monarch, South Australia

Abstract

AbstractGatehouseite is a new manganese hydroxy phosphate from Iron Monarch, South Australia. The new mineral occurs as radiating clusters of pale yellow, and yellow to pale brownish orange bladed crystals up to 100 ~tm in length. The crystals are elongated along [010] and the principal forms are {102}, {110} and {001}. Gatehouseite also occurs as overgrowths on prismatic arsenoclasite crystals. Associated with gatehouseite are baryte, shigaite, manganoan ferroan calcite, hausmannite and hematite. Gatehouseite appears to have formed at low temperature by the interaction of phosphorus-rich fluids on hausmannite in carbonate-rich fractures in the hematite ore. Electron microprobe analysis yielded: MnO 64.42, FeO 0.19, CuO 0.03, ZnO 0.03, PbO 0.05, Al2O3 0.10, P2O5 22.18, V2O5 0.38, As2O5 3.58, H2O (6.44%). These data gave an empirical formula of Mn5.09Fe0.01Al0.01(P1.75As0.17-V0.02)∑1.94O8(OH)4.00, calculated on the basis of 12 oxygen atoms. The simplified formula is Mn5(PO4)2(OH)4. The mineral is transparent with a pale yellow streak, an adamantine lustre and an estimated Mohs hardness of 4. The crystals exhibit a distinct cleavage on {010} and have a splintery fracture. The strongest lines in the X-ray powder pattern are (dobs, Iobs, hkl) 4.48 (10) (004); 4.03 (10) (104); 2.900 (100) (11.5); 2.853 (70) (106); 2.801 (50) (021); 2.702 (80) (303); 2.022 (15) (322); 1.608(15) (330). These data were indexed on an orthorhombic cell, with a = 9.097(2), b = 5.693(2), c = 18.002(10) Å and a volume of 932.4(8) Å3; the space group is probably P212121. For Z = 4 and using the empirical formula, the calculated density is 3.74 g/cm3. Optical properties could not be determined in full; two refractive indices are 1.74(1) and 1.76(1) (white light); pleochroism is distinct from brown to near colourless. The crystals are length slow with parallel extinction. The name is for Dr. Bryan Michael Kenneth Cummings Gatehouse (1932-), crystal chemist of Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.