Reinerite

Reinerite
General
Category arsenite
Formula
(repeating unit)		 Zn3(AsO3)2
Strunz classification 04.JA.10
Crystal symmetry Orthorhombic dipyramidal 2/m 2/m 2/m
Unit cell

a = 6.092 Å, b= 14.407 Å, c= 7.811 Å, Z=4, V = 685.55,

ratio = a:b:c = 0.423 : 1 : 0.542
Identification
Color Sky blue, yellow green
Crystal habit Rough striated pseudohexagonal crystals
Crystal system Orthorhombic
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 Maxium δ = 0.080
References [1][2][3][4]

Reinerite is a rare arsenite (arsenate(III)) mineral with chemical formula Zn3(AsO3)2.[3][2] It crystallizes in the orthorhombic crystal system.

Physical properties

Reinerite 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,[1] and it exhibits a nonmetallic luster that may be described as glassy or vitreous.[5]

Environment

Reinerite develops in dolostone-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 below the surface, in the second oxidation zone.[4] It occurs in association with chalcocite, bornite, willemite, smithsonite, hydrozincite, hemimorphite, adamite, olivenite and gebhardite.[2]

History

Reinerite 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.[1][3]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Webmineral data
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Handbook of Mineralogy
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Mindat.org
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 American Mineralogist
  5. ↑ Lutgens, Frederick, and Edward Tarbuck. Essentials of Geology. 10th. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2009. 42. Print.