New arsenate minerals from the Arsenatnaya fumarole, Tolbachik volcano, Kamchatka, Russia. IX. Arsenatrotitanite, NaTiO(AsO4)

Abstract

AbstractThe new durangite-group mineral arsenatrotitanite, ideally NaTiO(AsO4), was found in the Arsenatnaya fumarole at the Second scoria cone of the Northern Breakthrough of the Great Tolbachik Fissure Eruption, Tolbachik volcano, Kamchatka, Russia. It is associated with orthoclase, tenorite, hematite, johillerite, bradaczekite, badalovite, calciojohillerite, arsmirandite, tilasite, svabite, cassiterite, pseudobrookite, rutile, sylvite, halite, aphthitalite, langbeinite and anhydrite. Arsenatrotitanite occurs as prismatic, tabular, lamellar or acicular crystals up to 0.3 mm × 0.8 mm × 2 mm. They are separated or combined in open-work aggregates up to 2 mm across or interrupted crusts up to 2 mm × 5 mm in area and up to 0.3 mm thick. Arsenatrotitanite is transparent, brownish red to pale pinkish-reddish or almost colourless, with vitreous lustre. It is brittle and the Mohs’ hardness is ~5½. Cleavage is perfect on {110} and the fracture is stepped. Dcalc is 3.950 g cm–3. Arsenatrotitanite is optically biaxial (+), α = 1.825(5), β = 1.847(6), γ = 1.896(6) (589 nm) and 2Vmeas. = 70(5)°. Chemical composition (wt.%, electron-microprobe) is: Na2O 12.26, CaO 3.10, Al2O3 4.39, Fe2O3 9.57, TiO2 17.11, SnO2 1.03, As2O5 50.17, F 3.29, O = F –2.39, total 99.53. The empirical formula based on 5 (O + F) apfu is (Na0.91Ca0.13)Σ1.04(Ti0.49Fe3+0.27Al0.20Sn0.02)Σ0.98(As1.00O4.00)(O0.60F0.40). Arsenatrotitanite is monoclinic, C2/c, a = 6.6979(3), b = 8.7630(3), c = 7.1976(3) Å, β = 114.805(5)°, V = 383.48(3) Å3 and Z = 4. The strongest reflections of the powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern [d,Å(I)(hkl)] are: 4.845(89)($\bar{1} {11}}$), 3.631(36)(021), 3.431(48)(111), 3.300(100)($\bar{1} {12}}$), 3.036(100)(200), 2.627(91)(130) and 2.615(57)(022). The crystal structure was solved from single-crystal XRD data with R = 1.76%. Arsenatrotitanite belongs to the titanite/durangite structure type. It is named as an arsenate of sodium (natrium in Latin) and titanium isostructural with titanite.