La zaratita de Cabo Ortegal (A Coruña): historia de su descubrimiento y caracterización actual

A. La Iglesia; J. Garcia-Guinea; J. González del Tánago

doi:10.3989/egeol.41353.275

Authors

A. La Iglesia Instituto de Geociencias (CSIC, UCM)
J. Garcia-Guinea Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC)
J. González del Tánago Departamento Petrología y Geoquímica Facultad de Ciencias Geológicas, Universidad Complutense

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3989/egeol.41353.275

Keywords:

zaratite, nickel, carbonate, Cape Ortegal, A Coruña

Abstract

Zaratite, Ni₃CO₃(OH)₄.4H₂O is one of the few minerals discovered in Spain. Taking into account that it is an amorphous compound with variable chemical composition depending on the ore deposits, the International Mineralogical Association (IMA) currently considers zaratita in the Q status (Questionable). In this article we analyze first the nearly simultaneous discoveries of the Spanish zaratite and other material called “Emerald of Nickel” from Texas, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania (USA), of similar chemical composition. Both led to the current zaratite, where the Spanish mineral provides the name and the American one, the chemical composition anc physical properties. In addition, here we also include an experimental characterization of the zaratite historical specimen from Ortegal Cape, by electron microprobe, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, differential thermal and thermo-gravimetric analyses, micro-Raman, infrared transmission spectroscopy and spectral cathodoluminescence together with a discussion of the analytical results.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Calderón, T.; Towsend, P; Beneitez, P; Garcia-Guinea, J; Millán, A.; Rendell, H.M.; Tookey, M.; Urbina, M. & Wood, R. (1996). Crystal field effects on the Thermoluminescence of manganese in carbonate lattices. Radiation Measurements, 26: 719–731. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S1350-4487(97)82886-7

Cid, R. (2007). A vida e a obra de Antonio Casares Rodríguez. http://antoniocasares.blogspot.com.es.

Dana, E.S. (1878). A Text- Book of Mineralogy. John Wiley and Sons. New York. Second edition. 388 pp.

Fenoglio, M. (1934a). Sulla structura cristallina della Zaratite. Periodico di Mineralogía, 5: 33–36.

Fenoglio, M. (1934b). Nuove riherche sulla Zaratite: Zaratita sintetica. Periodico di Mineralogía, 5: 265–274.

Fried, D. & Dollimore, D. (1994). Isothermal and rising temperature kinetic studies of doped non- stoichiometric basic nickel carbonate. Journal of Thermal Analysis, 41: 323–336. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF02549318

Frost, R.L.; Dickfos, M.J. & Jagannadha-Reddy, B. (2008). Raman spectroscopy of hydroxy nickel carbonate minerals nullaginite and Zaratite Journal of Raman Spectroscopy, 39: 1250–1256. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/jrs.1978

Frost, R.L.; Keeffe, E.C. & Reddy, B.J. (2010). Characterisation of Ni carbonate-bearing minerals by UV-Vis-NIR spectroscopy. Transition Metal Chemistry, 35(3): 279–287. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11243-009-9324-7

Gotze, J. (2012). Application of Cathodoluminescence Microscopy and Spectroscopy in Geosciences. Microscopy and Microanalysis, 18: 1270–1284. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S1431927612001122

Habermann, D.; Götze, J.; Neuser, R. & Richter, D.K. (1997). The phenomenon of intrinsic cathodoluminescence: Case studies of quartz, calcite and apatite. Zentralblat für Geologie und Paläontologie Teil 1, Heft 10–12: 1275–1284.

Huang, C.K. & Kerr, P.F. (1960). Infrared study of the carbonate minerals. American Mineralogist, 45: 311–324.

Isaacs, T. (1963). The mineralogy and chemistry of the nickel carbonates. Mineralogical Magazine, 33: 663–678. http://dx.doi.org/10.1180/minmag.1963.033.263.04

Jones, G.C. & Jackson, B. (1993). Infrared transmission spectra of carbonate minerals. Ed. Chapman & Hall. London, 256 pp.

Kiselev, A.E. (1938). Annals of the Institute of Mines, Leningrad, vol. II, p. I. Abstr. in Mineralogical Magazine. 9: 267.

Martinez Alcibar, A. (1850). Raro e importante mineral de níquel. Revista Minera, 1: 302–306.

Martinez Alcibar, A. (1851). Sobre el mineral de nickel de Galicia, con algunas cosideraciones sobre el polimorfismo del sulfato de nickel y de otras sustancias. Revista Minera, 2: 175–190.

Palache, C.; Berman, H. & Frondel, C. (1951). The system of Mineralogy of James Dwight Dana and Edward Salisbury Dana, Yale University 1837–1892, Volume II. John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York, 7th edition, 245–246 pp.

Petterd, W.F. (1894). A catalogue of minerals known to occur in Tasmania, with notes on their distribution. Paper and Procceding of Royal Society of Tasmania for 1893, 1–72.

Rhamdhani, M.A.; Jak, E. & Hayes, P.C. (2008). Basic nickel carbonate: Part II. Microstructure evolution during industrial nickel production from basic nickel carbonate. Metallurgical and Materials Transactions B, 39(2): 234–45. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11663-008-9139-5

Shaheen, W.M. (2002). Thermal behavior of pure and binary basic nickel carbonate and ammonium molybdate systems. Materials Letters, 52: 272–82. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0167-577X(01)00406-2

Silliman, B. (1847). Hydrate of Nickel a New Mineral. American Journal of Science, 3: 407–409.

Silliman, B. (1848). On Emerald of Nickel from Texas, Lancaster County, Pa. American Journal of Science, 6: 246–249.

Smith, J.L. & Brush, G.J. (1853). Reexamination of American Minerals. Part II- Chesterlite; Loxoclase; Danbury Feldspars; Haddan Albite; Greenwood Mica; Biotite; Magarodite; Chesterlite Talc; Rhodophillite; Cumnmigtonite; Hydrous Anthophillite; Monrolite; Ozarkite; Dysyntribite; Gibbsite; Emerald Nickel. American Journal of Science, 16: 41–53.

Williams, K.L.; Threadgold, I.M. & Hounslow, A.W. (1959). Hellyerite, a new nickel carbonate from Heazlewood, Tasmania. American Mineralogist, 44: 533–538.