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Huenite, Cu (sub 4) Mo (sub 3) O (sub 12) (OH) (sub 2) , a new copper-molybdenum oxy-hydroxide mineral from the San Samuel Mine, Carrera Pinto, Cachiyuyo de Llampos District, Copiapo Province, Atacama region, Chile

Pietro Vignola, Nicola Rotiroti, G. Diego Gatta, Andrea Risplendente, Frederic Hatert, Danilo Bersani and Vittorio Mattioli
Huenite, Cu (sub 4) Mo (sub 3) O (sub 12) (OH) (sub 2) , a new copper-molybdenum oxy-hydroxide mineral from the San Samuel Mine, Carrera Pinto, Cachiyuyo de Llampos District, Copiapo Province, Atacama region, Chile
The Canadian Mineralogist (July 2019) 57 (4): 467-474

Abstract

Huenite, Cu (sub 4) Mo (sub 3) O (sub 12) (OH) (sub 2) , is a new copper and molybdenum oxy-hydroxide mineral found in the San Samuel Mine, Carrera Pinto, Cachiyuyo de Llampos district, Copiapo Province, Atacama Region, Chile. This new species forms flattened orthorhombic prisms up to 60-70 mu m in size, weakly elongated along [001]. Huenite crystals were found on fractured surfaces of a quartz breccia, forming aggregates 1 mm in diameter in close association with lindgrenite, gypsum, dark grayish-brown tourmaline, and an unknown pale purple phase. The color is very dark reddish-brown, with a strong vitreous to adamantine luster. Its streak is pale reddish-brown to pinkish. The mineral is brittle with an irregular fracture and a Mohs hardness of 3.5-4 with a good cleavage on {010}. Its calculated density is 5.1 g/cm (super 3) . The calculated refractive index is 2.18. Huenite is non-fluorescent under 254 nm (short wave) and 366 nm (long wave) ultraviolet light. The empirical formula, calculated on the basis of 3 (Mo+S+Si) atoms per formula unit, is (Cu (sub 3.519) Fe (super 2+) 0.403) (sub Sigma 3.922) (Mo (sub 2.907) S (sub 0.090) Si (sub 0.003) ) (sub Sigma 3.000) O (sub 12) .(OH) (sub 2.229) , with H (sub 2) O content calculated for a total of 100 wt.%. Huenite is trigonal, with space group P3 (sub 1) /c and unit-cell parameters a=7.653(5) Aa, c=9.411(6) Aa, and V=477.4(5) Aa (super 3) for Z=2. The eight strongest measured powder X-ray diffraction lines are: [d in Aa, (I/I (sub 0) ), (hkl)]: 2.974 (100) (112), 1.712 (59.8) (132), 3.810 (50.6) (110), 2.702 (41.2) (022), 2.497 (38.1) (120), 1.450 (37.2) (134), 6.786 (24.9) (010), and 5.374 (24.5) (011). The mineral, which has been approved by the CNMNC under number IMA 2015-122, is named in honor of Edgar Huen.


ISSN: 0008-4476
EISSN: 1499-1276
Coden: CAMIA6
Serial Title: The Canadian Mineralogist
Serial Volume: 57
Serial Issue: 4
Title: Huenite, Cu (sub 4) Mo (sub 3) O (sub 12) (OH) (sub 2) , a new copper-molybdenum oxy-hydroxide mineral from the San Samuel Mine, Carrera Pinto, Cachiyuyo de Llampos District, Copiapo Province, Atacama region, Chile
Affiliation: CNR, Istituto per la Dinamica dei Processi Ambientali, Milan, Italy
Pages: 467-474
Published: 20190715
Text Language: English
Publisher: Mineralogical Association of Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada
References: 17
Accession Number: 2020-006647
Categories: Mineralogy of non-silicates
Document Type: Serial
Bibliographic Level: Analytic
Illustration Description: illus. incl. 9 tables
S27°04'40" - S27°04'40", W70°00'10" - W70°00'10"
Secondary Affiliation: Universita di Milano, ITA, ItalyUniversite de Liege, BEL, BelgiumUniversita di Parma, ITA, Italy
Country of Publication: Canada
Secondary Affiliation: GeoRef, Copyright 2020, American Geosciences Institute. Abstract, copyright, Mineralogical Association of Canada. Reference includes data from GeoScienceWorld, Alexandria, VA, United States
Update Code: 202006
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