Omsite, (Ni,Cu)_2Fe^(3+)(OH)_6[Sb(OH)_6], a new member of the cualstibite group from Oms, France

Abstract

Omsite (IMA 2012-025) is a new mineral from the Correc d'en Llinassos, Oms, Pyrénées-Orientales Department, France. It occurs as bright yellow to amber yellow discoidal tablets, flattened on {001}, which form rosettes typically 50–100 μm in diameter. Omsite generally crystallizes on siderite without associated supergene minerals; it occurs less commonly with glaukosphaerite. Crystals have a vitreous to resinous lustre, and are transparent to translucent. Omsite is not fluorescent in either short-wave or long-wave ultraviolet light. It has an estimated hardness of 3 on the Mohs' scale, is brittle with an irregular fracture, and has one poor cleavage on {001}. The calculated density is 3.378 g cm^(−3). Crystals are uniaxial (−), with indices of refraction of ω = 1.728(3) and ε = 1.66(1), measured in white light. Pleochroism is ω = orange-yellow, ε = pale orange-yellow; ω > ε. The empirical formula [based on 12 (OH + Cl) p.f.u.] is (Ni^(2+)_(1.099)Cu^(2+)_(0.665)Mg_(0.107)Fe^(3+)_(0.045) _(Σ1.916)Fe^(3+)_(1.000)(Sb^(5+)_(0.947)As_(0.072)Na_(0.029)_(Σ1.048)OH_(11.967)Cl_(0.033). Omsite crystallizes in space group P3İ, with unit-cell parameters ɑ = 5.3506(8), c = 19.5802(15) Å, V = 485.46(10) Å3 and Z = 2 determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction. The five strongest lines in the X-ray powder diffraction pattern [d in Å, (I_(rel)), (hkl)] are as follows: 4.901, (100), (004); 4.575, (83), (011); 2.3539, (81), (114İ); 1.8079, (48), (118İ); 3.781, (34), (103). The crystal structure was solved to R_1 = 0.0896 for 356 observed reflections [F_o>4σF_o] and 0.1018 for all the 469 unique reflections. Omsite is a layered double hydroxide (LDH) mineral, with a topology consistent with members of the hydrotalcite supergroup and cualstibite group.

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