Reinerite is a rare arsenite (arsenate(III)) mineral with chemical formula Zn3(AsO3)2.[3][4] It crystallizes in the orthorhombic crystal system.
| Reinerite | |
|---|---|
| General | |
| Category | arsenite |
| Formula (repeating unit) | Zn3(AsO3)2 |
| IMA symbol | Rnr[1] |
| Strunz classification | 4.JA.10 |
| Crystal system | Orthorhombic |
| Crystal class | Dipyramidal (mmm) H-M symbol: (2/m 2/m 2/m) |
| Space group | Pbam (no. 55) |
| Unit cell | a = 6.092 Å, b = 14.407 Å c = 7.811 Å; Z = 4 V = 685.55 a:b:c = 0.423 : 1 : 0.542 |
| Identification | |
| Color | Sky blue, yellow green |
| Crystal habit | Rough striated pseudohexagonal crystals |
| Cleavage | Good on {110}, {011} and {111} |
| Mohs scale hardness | 5 - 5.5 |
| Luster | Vitreous to adamantine |
| Diaphaneity | Transparent |
| Specific gravity | 4.27 |
| Optical properties | Biaxial (-) |
| Refractive index | nα = 1.740 nβ = 1.790 nγ = 1.820 |
| Birefringence | Maximum δ = 0.080 |
| Other characteristics | Relief: very high |
| References | [2][3][4][5] |
Physical properties
editReinerite is most commonly found as a sky blue colored mineral, however, it may also be a light yellowish green color. Reinerite has a relative hardness of 5 to 5.5 on the Mohs Scale which is equivalent to that of a knife blade and or shard of glass. It has a density of 4.27 g/cm3,[2] and it exhibits a nonmetallic luster that may be described as glassy or vitreous.[6]
Environment
editReinerite develops in dolomite-hosted locations. It is known especially from Namibia, Africa, within the mines of Tsumeb. At the Tsumeb location, Reinerite develops within the polymetallic lead-zinc-copper deposit, 800 m (2,600 ft) below the surface, in the second oxidation zone.[5] It occurs in association with chalcocite, bornite, willemite, smithsonite, hydrozincite, hemimorphite, adamite, olivenite and gebhardite.[3]
History
editReinerite was first described in 1958 for an occurrence in the Tsumeb Mine, Tsumeb, Namibia and named for senior chemist Willy Reiner (1895–1965) of Tsumeb Corporation, who analyzed this mineral.[2][4]
References
edit- ^ Warr, L.N. (2021). "IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols". Mineralogical Magazine. 85 (3): 291–320. Bibcode:2021MinM...85..291W. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43. S2CID 235729616.
- ^ a b c Webmineral data
- ^ a b c Handbook of Mineralogy
- ^ a b c Mindat.org
- ^ a b American Mineralogist
- ^ Lutgens, Frederick, and Edward Tarbuck. Essentials of Geology. 10th. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2009. 42. Print.