The Crystal Chemistry of Voltaite-Group Minerals from Post-Volcanic and Anthropogenic Occurrences

Abstract

Five samples of voltaite-group minerals from post-volcanic occurrences (geothermal fields and solfatara at pyroclastic flow) and from pseudofumaroles born by coal fires are characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and electron microprobe analysis. The studied minerals include ammoniomagnesiovoltaite, ammoniovoltaite, voltaite and magnesiovoltaite. The quadrilateral of chemical compositions is determined by monovalent cations such as (NH4)+ and K+ and divalent cations such as Fe2+ and Mg2+. Minor Al can occur in the Fe3+ site. Minor amounts of P, V can occur in the S site. Ammonium members are described from geothermal fields, expanding the mineral potential of this type of geological environment. All minerals are cubic, space group Fd-3c, a = 27.18–27.29 Å, V = 20079–20331 Å3, Z = 16. No clear evidence of symmetry lowering (suggested for synthetic voltaites) is observed despite the chemical variation in the studied samples. Ammonium species tend to have a larger a lattice parameter than potassium ones due to longer <A–O> distances (A = N or K). The systematically shorter <Me2+–ϕ>obs (Me2+ = Fe, Mg; ϕ = O, H2O) in comparison to <Me2+–ϕ>calc bond lengths can be explained as a consequence of mean bond length variation due to significant bond length distortion in Me2+ϕ6 octahedra Me2–O2—2.039–2.055 Å; Me2–O4—2.085–2.115 Å; and Me2–Ow5—2.046–2.061 Å, with bond length distortion estimated as from 0.008 to 0.014 for different samples.