Kobyashevite, Cu5(SO4)2(OH)6·4H2O, a new devilline-group mineral from the Vishnevye Mountains, South Urals, Russia

Abstract

A new mineral kobyashevite, Cu5(SO4)2(OH)6·4H2O (IMA 2011–066), was found at the Kapital’naya mine, Vishnevye Mountains, South Urals, Russia. It is a supergene mineral that occurs in cavities of a calcite-quartz vein with pyrite and chalcopyrite. Kobyashevite forms elongated crystals up to 0.2 mm typically curved or split and combined into thin crusts up to 1 × 2 mm. Kobyashevite is bluish-green to turquoise-coloured. Lustre is vitreous. Mohs hardness is 2½. Cleavage is {010} distinct. D(calc.) is 3.16 g/cm3. Kobyashevite is optically biaxial (−), α 1.602(4), β 1.666(5), γ 1.679(5), 2 V(meas.) 50(10)°. The chemical composition (wt%, electron-microprobe data) is: CuO 57.72, ZnO 0.09, FeO 0.28, SO3 23.52, H2O(calc.) 18.39, total 100.00. The empirical formula, calculated based on 18 O, is: Cu4.96Fe0.03Zn0.01S2.01O8.04(OH)5.96·4H2O. Kobyashevite is triclinic, \( P\overline{\,1 } \), a 6.0731(6), b 11.0597(13), c 5.5094(6) A, α 102.883(9)°, β 92.348(8)°, γ 92.597(9)°, V 359.87(7) A3, Z = 1. Strong reflections of the X-ray powder pattern [d,A-I(hkl)] are: 10.84–100(010); 5.399–40(020); 5.178–12(110); 3.590–16(030); 2.691–16(20–1, 040, 002), 2.653–12(04–1, 02–2), 2.583–12(2–11, 201, 2–1–1), 2.425–12(03–2, 211, 131). The crystal structure (single-crystal X-ray data, R = 0.0399) сontains [Cu4(SO4)2(OH)6] corrugated layers linked via isolated [CuO2(H2O)4] octahedra; the structural formula is CuCu4(SO4)2(OH)6·4H2O. Kobyashevite is a devilline-group member. It is named in memory of the Russian mineralogist Yuriy Stepanovich Kobyashev (1935–2009), a specialist on mineralogy of the Urals.