Romanorlovite, a New Copper and Potassium Hydroxychloride from the Tolbachik Volcano, Kamchatka, Russia

Abstract

A new mineral romanorlovite has been found in the upper, moderately hot zones of two fumaroles, Glavnaya Tenoritovaya (Major Tenorite) and Arsenatnaya (Arsenate), located at the second scoria cone of the Northern Breakthrough of the Great Tolbachik Fissure Eruption, Tolbachik volcano, Kamchatka, Russia. It is associated with avdoninite in both fumaroles, and in Glavnaya Tenoritovaya, it is also associated with belloite, sylvite, carnallite, mitscherlichite, sanguite, chlorothionite, eriochalcite, chrysothallite, and mellizinkalite. Romanorlovite occurs as prismatic, equant, or tabular tetragonal crystals up to 0.1 mm in size, crystal clusters up to 0.5 mm, and crusts up to 2 × 2 mm in area. The mineral is transparent with vitreous luster. Its color varies from yellow-brown to dark brown, and tiny crystals are honey- or golden-yellow. Cleavage is not observed. Romanorlovite is brittle. The Mohs hardness is ca ~3. The calculated density varies from 2.72 to 2.79 g/cm3 depending on the content of admixed Pb. The mineral is optically uniaxial (–), ω = 1.727(3), e = 1.694(2). The Raman spectrum has been reported. The chemical composition of the holotype sample (wt %; electron microprobe data, contents of О and H calculated by stoichiometry) is as follows: 21.52 K, 0.89 Pb, 28.79 Cu, 0.02 Zn, 44.74 Cl, 4.85 Ocalc, 0.41 Hcalc, total 101.22. Its empirical formula calculated based on Cl25 with (ОН)4(Н2О)2 is K10.90Pb0.09Cu8.97Zn0.01Cl25(OH)4 · 2H2O. The simplified formula is K11Cu9Cl25(OH)4 · 2H2O (Z = 4). Romanorlovite is tetragonal, space group[ I4/mmm. The unit cell parameters are (1) holotype: a = 17.5804(7), c = 15.9075(6) A, V = 4916.5(3) A3; (2) the sample enriched in Pb on which the crystal structure was refined: a = 17.5538(19), c = 15.8620(17) A, V= 4887.7(9) A3. The strongest reflections of the powder XRD pattern (d, A–I[hkl]) are 12.48–56[110], 11.74–36[101], 8.80–100[200], 7.97–34[002], 6.71–40[112], 3.165–32[512], 2.933–80[215, 433], 2.607–38[514]. The mineral is named in honor of Roman Yu. Orlov (1929-2005), Russian mineralogist and physicist, who worked in the Department of Mineralogy, Moscow State University.