Crocoite

Crocoite

Crocoite from Dundas, Tasmania
General
Category Chromate mineral
Formula
(repeating unit)		 Lead Chromate PbCrO4
Strunz classification 7.FA.20
Crystal system Monoclinic
Crystal class Prismatic (2/m)
H-M symbol: (2/m)
Space group Monoclinic
Space group: P21/n
Unit cell a = 7.12 Å, b = 7.421 Å,
c = 6.8 Å; β = 102.41°; Z = 4
Identification
Color Orange, red, yellow
Crystal habit Coarsely crystalline to acicular
Cleavage Distinct on {110} indistinct on {001} and {100}
Fracture Conchoidal to uneven
Tenacity Sectile
Mohs scale hardness 2.5–3
Luster Adamantine
Streak Yellowish orange
Diaphaneity Transparent to translucent
Specific gravity 5.9–6.1
Optical properties Biaxial (+)
Refractive index nα = 2.290(2) nβ = 2.360(2) nγ = 2.660(2)
Birefringence δ = 0.370
Pleochroism Weak
References [1][2][3]

Crocoite is a mineral consisting of lead chromate, PbCrO4, and crystallizing in the monoclinic crystal system. It is identical in composition with the artificial product chrome yellow used as a paint pigment.

Description

Crocoite is commonly found as large, well-developed prismatic adamatine crystals, although in many cases are poorly terminated. Crystals are of a bright hyacinth-red color, translucent, and have an adamantine to vitreous lustre. On exposure to UV light some of the translucency and brilliancy is lost. The streak is orange-yellow; Mohs hardness is 2.5–3; and the specific gravity is 6.0.

Crocoite crystal structure

It was discovered at the Berezovskoe Au Deposit (Berezovsk Mines) near Ekaterinburg in the Urals in 1766; and named crocoise by F. S. Beudant in 1832, from the Greek κρόκος (krokos), saffron, in allusion to its color, a name first altered to crocoisite and afterwards to crocoite. In the type locality the crystals are found in gold-bearing quartz-veins traversing granite or gneiss and associated with crocoite are quartz, embreyite, phoenicochroite and vauquelinite. Phoenicochroite is a basic lead chromate, Pb2CrO5 with dark red crystals, and vauquelinite a lead and copper phosphate-chromate, Pb2CuCrO4PO4OH, with brown or green monoclinic crystals. Vauquelinite was named after L. N. Vauquelin, who in 1797 discovered (simultaneously with and independently of M. H. Klaproth) the element chromium in crocoite.

Abundant masses with exceptional examples of crocoite crystals have been found in the Extended Mine at Mount Dundas as well as the Adelaide, Red Lead, West Comet, Platt and a few other Mines at Dundas, Tasmania; they are usually found in long slender prisms, usually about 10–20 mm but rarely up to 100 mm (4 inches) in length, with a brilliant lustre and color. Crocoite is also the official Tasmanian mineral emblem. Other localities which have yielded good crystallized specimens are Congonhas do Campo near Ouro Preto in Brazil, Luzon in the Philippines, Mutare in Mashonaland, near Menzies in Western Australia, plus Brazil, Germany and South Africa.

The relative rarity of crocoite is connected with the specific conditions required for its formation: an oxidation zone of lead ore bed and presence of ultramafic rocks serving as the source of chromium (in chromite). Oxidation of Cr3+ into CrO42− (from chromite) and decomposition of galena (or other primary lead minerals) are required for crocoite formation. These conditions are relatively unusual.

As crocoite is composed of lead(II) chromate, it is toxic, containing both lead and hexavalent chromium.[4]

Gallery

Examples of crocoite

See also

References

  1. ↑ http://rruff.geo.arizona.edu/doclib/hom/crocoite.pdf Handbook of Mineralogy
  2. ↑ http://www.mindat.org/min-1157.html Mindat
  3. ↑ http://webmineral.com/data/Crocoite.shtml Webmineral data
  4. ↑ Mineral Safety Data Sheet

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Crocoite.
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 10/11/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.