The Crystal Chemistry and Mineralogy of Critical Metals

A special issue of Minerals (ISSN 2075-163X). This special issue belongs to the section "Crystallography and Physical Chemistry of Minerals & Nanominerals".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (16 December 2022) | Viewed by 4464

Special Issue Editors

Institute of Geology of Ore Deposits Russian Academy of Sciences, Staromonetny 35, 119017 Moscow, Russia
Interests: platinum group minerals; crystal chemistry; mineralogy; X-ray diffraction; structure analysis; crystal growth
1. Kola Science Center, Russian Academy of Sciences, Fersmana str. 14, 184209 Apatity, Russia
2. Department of Crystallography, Institute of Earth Sciences, St. Petersburg State University, University Emb. 7/9, 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia
Interests: mineralogy; crystallography; structural complexity; uranium
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The energy balance of the world is changing continuously, due to the decrease in the share of non-renewable carbon raw materials (oil, gas, coal) and the increase in the share of nuclear raw materials and various renewable energy sources (such as hydrothermal power, solar and wind energy, biomass power and others). Awareness of the irreversible depletion of non-renewable natural resources of carbon in the long term determines the development of the “low-carbon” energy sector. The emerging technologies of “green” energetics have become possible thanks to the use of materials produced mainly from the number of rare metals and their alloys, including rare earths (REE) and other important elements. These elements also constitute the basis of high-tech products manufacturing: computers, vehicles, planes, mobile phones, optical fibers, etc.

Metal can be regarded as critical only if it performs an essential function for which few or no satisfactory substitutes exist. Criticality is a measure that combines importance to the economy and risk of supply disruption. The critical metals category, according to various estimates, includes REE, In, Ga, Te, Co, Li, PGE, Ge, Se, Ag, Gd, He, and Te.

The aim of the Special Issue is the accumulation and analysis of the newest research results on crystal chemistry and mineralogy of natural and synthetic phases containing critical metals. Our understanding of their structure, composition, and geochemical origin is key to the development of innovative and emerging technologies.

Dr. Oxana Karimova
Prof. Dr. Sergey V. Krivovichev
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • critical metals
  • rare metals
  • rare earth elements
  • rare disperse elements
  • platinum group elements
  • crystal chemistry
  • mineralogy
  • crystal growth
  • mineral deposits
  • advanced materials

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 4304 KiB  
Article
Orthorhombic-Cubic Phase Transition in Rb2CoSi5O12 Leucite Analogue
by Anthony Martin Thomas Bell
Minerals 2023, 13(2), 210; https://doi.org/10.3390/min13020210 - 31 Jan 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1000
Abstract
An Rb2CoSi5O12 leucite analogue has been synthesized. An ambient temperature X-ray powder diffraction study shows that this analogue has the Pbca orthorhombic structure of Cs2CdSi5O12. A high temperature X-ray powder diffraction study [...] Read more.
An Rb2CoSi5O12 leucite analogue has been synthesized. An ambient temperature X-ray powder diffraction study shows that this analogue has the Pbca orthorhombic structure of Cs2CdSi5O12. A high temperature X-ray powder diffraction study on this analogue shows a Pbca orthorhombic to Pa3¯ cubic phase transition at 457 K. The Rb2CoSi5O12 unit cell volume initially decreases with increasing temperature on passing through this phase transition. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Crystal Chemistry and Mineralogy of Critical Metals)
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12 pages, 1997 KiB  
Article
Chenowethite, Mg(H2O)6[(UO2)2(SO4)2(OH)2]·5H2O, a New Mineral with Uranyl-Sulfate Sheets from Red Canyon, Utah, USA
by Anthony R. Kampf, Jakub Plášil, Travis A. Olds, Chi Ma and Joe Marty
Minerals 2022, 12(12), 1594; https://doi.org/10.3390/min12121594 - 12 Dec 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1215
Abstract
The new mineral chenowethite, Mg(H2O)6[(UO2)2(SO4)2(OH)2]·5H2O, was found in efflorescence crusts on tunnel walls at the Blue Lizard, Green Lizard and Markey uranium mines in Red Canyon, San [...] Read more.
The new mineral chenowethite, Mg(H2O)6[(UO2)2(SO4)2(OH)2]·5H2O, was found in efflorescence crusts on tunnel walls at the Blue Lizard, Green Lizard and Markey uranium mines in Red Canyon, San Juan County, Utah, USA. The crystals are long, thin blades up to about 0.5 mm long, occurring in irregular sprays and subparallel groups. Chenowethite is pale green yellow. It has white streak, vitreous to silky luster, brittle tenacity, splintery and stepped fracture and two cleavages: {010} perfect and {001} good. It has a hardness (Mohs) of about 2 and is nonfluorescent in both long- and short-wave ultraviolet illumination. The density is 3.05(2) g/cm3. Optically, crystals are biaxial (−) with α = 1.530(2), β = 1.553(2) and γ = 1.565(2) (white light). The 2V is 72(2)° and dispersion is r > v (slight). The optical orientation is X = b, Y = a, Z = c and the mineral exhibits weak pleochroism in shades of pale green yellow: X < Y < Z. The Raman spectrum is consistent with the presence of UO22+, SO42− and OH/H2O. The empirical formula from electron microprobe analysis and arranged in accordance with the structure is (Mg0.71Fe2+0.09Co0.05Ni0.04)∑0.89(H2O)6[(UO2)2(SO4)2(OH)2]·[(H2O)4.78(NH4)0.22]∑5.00. Chenowethite is orthorhombic, space group Cmcm; the unit-cell parameters are a = 6.951(2), b = 19.053(6), c = 16.372(5) Å, V = 2168.19(7) Å3 and Z = 4. The crystal structure of chenowethite (R1 = 0.0396 for 912 I > 2σI reflections) contains [(UO2)2(SO4)2(OH)2]2− sheets that are topologically equivalent to those in deliensite, feynmanite, greenlizardite, johannite, meitnerite and plášilite. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Crystal Chemistry and Mineralogy of Critical Metals)
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10 pages, 3678 KiB  
Communication
A Rare Au-Sb Telluride Pampaloite from the Svetlinsk Gold-Telluride Deposit, South Urals, Russia
by Olga V. Vikent’eva, Vladimir V. Shilovskikh, Vasily D. Shcherbakov, Ilya V. Vikentyev and Nikolay S. Bortnikov
Minerals 2022, 12(10), 1274; https://doi.org/10.3390/min12101274 - 09 Oct 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1550
Abstract
Pampaloite AuSbTe, a rare gold-antimony telluride that was first described in 2019 from the Pampalo gold mine, Finland, was found in samples from the large Svetlinsk gold-telluride deposit, South Urals, Russia. Optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, electron microprobe analysis, reflectance measurements, electron backscatter [...] Read more.
Pampaloite AuSbTe, a rare gold-antimony telluride that was first described in 2019 from the Pampalo gold mine, Finland, was found in samples from the large Svetlinsk gold-telluride deposit, South Urals, Russia. Optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, electron microprobe analysis, reflectance measurements, electron backscatter diffraction and Raman spectroscopy were used to study eight grains of pampaloite. Pampaloite forms inclusions (5–30 μm) in quartz together with other tellurides (typically petzite), native gold and, less often, sulfides. In reflected light, pampaloite is white or creamy white in color with weak anisotropism and without internal reflections. The empirical formula calculated on the basis of 3 apfu is Au0.97–1.07Ag0–0.02Sb0.96–1.04Te0.96–1.04 (n = 18). The holotype pampaloite structure was used as a reference and provided the perfect match for an experimental EBSD pattern (12 bands out of 12, mean angle deviation 0.19°). Raman spectra are reported for the first time for this mineral. All studied pampaloite grains exhibit vibrational modes in the range 60–180 cm−1. Average peak positions are 71, 108, 125, 147 and 159 cm−1. According to experimental data for the Au-Sb-Te system, we estimate the upper temperature range of pampaloite crystallization at the Svetlinsk deposit to be 350–430 °C. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Crystal Chemistry and Mineralogy of Critical Metals)
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