Original paper
Rudabányaite, a new mineral with a [Ag2Hg2]4+ cluster cation from the Rudabánya ore deposit (Hungary)
Effenberger, Herta; Szakáll, Sándor; Fehér, Béla; Váczi, Tamás; Zajzon, Norbert
European Journal of Mineralogy Volume 31 Number 3 (2019), p. 537 - 547
53 references
published: Jul 9, 2019
published online: Jan 19, 2019
manuscript accepted: Nov 17, 2018
manuscript revision received: Nov 6, 2018
manuscript received: Sep 12, 2018
Abstract
Rudabányaite was found in cavities of siliceous sphaerosiderite and limonite rocks at the Adolf mine area of the Rudabánya ore deposit (northern-East Hungary). The new mineral forms small crystals up to 0.6 mm and aggregates of a few mm across. Usually they have a xenomorphic shape, only occasionally cubic symmetry is morphologically discernible; the crystal forms {110} and {100} were recognized. The crystals are transparent, have yellowish-orange to brownish-yellow colour and a lemon-yellow streak, the lustre is adamantine. The Mohs’ hardness is 3–4. No cleavage was observed. Rudabányaite is optically isotropic. The density could not be measured due to lack of material; ρ(calc.) = 8.04 g/cm3. Electron-microprobe analyses gave the average composition (in wt%) Ag2O 29.39, Hg2O 52.62, As2O5 13.69, Cl 4.62, SO3 0.19, O=Cl −1.04, sum 99.47. The empirical formula based on four oxygen atoms is (Ag2.06Hg2.05)Σ=4.11(As0.97S0.02)Σ=0.99O4Cl1.06; the idealized formula as derived from chemical analyses and crystal-structure investigation is [Ag2Hg2][AsO4]Cl. The crystal-structure investigation was performed on single-crystal X-ray data; the refinements on F2 converged at wR2(F2) = 0.068 and R1(F) = 0.031 for all 972 unique data and 53 variable parameters. Rudabányaite crystallizes in space group F 4 ¯ 3 c , a = 17.360(3) Å, V = 5231.8 Å3, Z = 32. The crystal structure is characterised by two crystallographically different [M 4]4+ cluster cations forming tetrahedra; M = (Ag,Hg) with a ratio Ag:Hg ~ 1:1. There is not any evidence for an order between the Ag and Hg atoms. Small amounts of the M atoms are displaced by ~0.5 Å. Topologically, the barycentres of the [M4]4+ clusters and the As atom positions of the crystal structure of rudabányaite form a cubic primitive lattice with a′ = ½a = 8.68 Å; half of the voids are occupied by Cl atoms.
Keywords
Rudabányaite • [Hg2Ag2][AsO4]Cl • new mineral • Rudabánya (Hungary) • crystal structure • [Hg2Ag2]4+ cluster cation • silver • mercury • arsenate • topology