Kintoreite, PbFe₃(PO₄)₂(OH,H₂O)₆, a new mineral of the jarosite-alunite family, and lusungite discredited

Abstract

Kintoreite is a new lead iron phosphate mineral in the alunite-jarosite family, from Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia. It is the phosphate analogue of segnitite and the iron analogue of plumbogummite. Kintoreite occurs as dusters and coatings of cream to yellowish green rhombohedral crystals up to 2 mm high and with the principal form {112}. The mineral also forms waxy, yellowish green globular crusts and hemispheres on other phosphate minerals. These associated species include pyromorphite, libethenite, rockbridgeitc/dufrenite, apatite and goethite. Kintoreite formed during oxidation of primary ore rich in galena, in the presence of solutions with high P/(As + S) ratios. The mineral is named for the locality, the Kintore opencut, in which it is most common. A mineral closely resembling kintoreite in composition has also been found at several mines in Germany. Type material is preserved in the Museum of Victoria and the South Australian Museum.Electron microprobe analysis showed a nearly complete spread of compositions across the P-dominant portion of the segnitite-kintoreite series. The selected type specimen has an empirical formula of Mineralogical Magazine, March 1995, Vol. 59, pp. 143-148 9 Copyright the Mineralogical Society During the study of kintoreite, part of the type specimen of lusungite from Zaire was obtained and shown to be goyazite. The IMA's Commission on New Minerals and Mineral Names has voted to discredit lusungite as a species, and has approved the renaming of the 'lusungite' group as the segnitite group. However, as relationships between crystal structure, order-disorder and solid solution in the Pb-rich minerals of the alunite-jarosite family are not well documented, the nomenclatural changes resulting from this study should be seen as interim only.

Compositional segregation and solid solution in the lead-dominant alunite-type minerals from Broken Hill, N.S.W.

“…The formulae show considerable deviation from the ideal end-and mid-member compositions, indicating that there is probably no ordering on the XO4 anion site. This study and those of Palache et al (1951), Smith et al (1953), Birch et al (1992, Wambeke (1971), Scott (1987) andPring et al (1995) show that there is considerable, almost continuous, XO4 solid solution in the alunite-jarosite minerals and that the status of the mid-member compositions as distinct minerals must be considered as doubtful. analyses.…”

Fertilizer Amendment of Mining-Impacted Soils from Broken Hill, Australia: Fixation or Release of Contaminants?

“…Minor or trace kintoreite [PbFe 3 (PO 4 ) 2 (OH, H 2 O) 6 ] was identified in XRD spectra in all size fractions of both BH1 and BH2. Kintoreite can contain a number of cationic substitutions (e.g., Zn 2+ and Cu 2+ ) while anionic substitutions may include AsO 4 3- (Pring et al 1995;Kharisun et al 1997). Scanning electron microscope/energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM/EDS) examination identified coronadite (PbMn 8 O 16 ) in both BH1 and BH2 ( Fig.…”

Cu-rich members of the beudantite-segnitite series from the Krupka ore district, the Krušné hory Mountains, Czech Republic

“…10, the majority of the studied samples plot in the beudantite field and only several spot analyses represent segnitite. The elevated Cu Pring et al (1995), Rattray et al (1996), Jansa et al (1998) and Sejkora et al (2001aSejkora et al ( , 2001b.…”

“…Members of the beudantite-segnitite solid solution series represent a small part of the large supergroup of natural Walenta et al (1982), Dutrizac (1983, 1985), Scott (1987), de Bruiyn et al (1990, Birch et al (1992), Breidenstein et al (1992), Pring et al (1995), Rattray et al (1996), Jansa et al (1998), Sejkora et al (2001aSejkora et al ( , 2001b and Sato et al (2008).…”