May 20 2014
Arsenopalladinite is a triclinic-pedial silver-white mineral, containing palladium, arsenic, and antimony. The mineral was first discovered in Itabira, Minas Gerias in Brazil in 1974. It was named after the palladium and arsenic in its composition.
Properties of Arsenopalladinite
The following are the key properties of Arsenopalladinite:
- Cell Data
- Space Group: P1
- a = 7.43
- b = 13.95
- c = 7.35
- α = 92°53'
- β = 119°30'
- γ = 87°51'
- Z = 6
- Crystal Data
- Triclinic
- Point Group: 1
- As rounded grains, to 1.8mm
- X-ray Powder Pattern: 2.13 (100), 2.34 (60), 1.41 (40), 1.24 (30), 1.21 (30), 2.28 (20), 2.19 (20)
- Chemical Composition
| Elements |
Content |
| Pd |
77.56 |
| As |
17.08 |
| Sb |
5.15 |
| Cu |
0.02 |
| Total |
99.81 |
- Optical Properties
- R1–R2: (400) 43.9–44.5, (420) 44.7–45.8, (440) 45.7–46.5, (460) 46.8–47.8, (480) 48.1–49.4, (500) 49.4–50.8, (520) 50.8–52.4, (540) 52.1–53.9, (560) 53.2–55.1, (580) 54.4–56.4, (600) 55.4 57.3, (620) 56.4–58.1, (640) 57.0–58.8, (660) 57.7–59.2, (680) 58.2–59.8, (700) 58.8–60.0
- Estimated Properties
| Electron density |
Bulk density (electron density) = 9.55 g/cm3
note: Specific gravity of Arsenopalladinite = 11 g/cm3 |
| Photoelectric |
PEArsenopalladinite = 218.6 barns/electron
U = PEArsenopalladinite x ρ Electron density = 2087.65 barns/cm3 |
| Fermion index |
Fermion index = 0.17
Boson index = 0.83 |
Radioactivity
|
Arsenopalladinite is not radioactive
|
How to Identify Arsenopalladinite
Arsenopalladinite is a silver-white mineral, having metallic luster and opaque appearance. It can be formed as anhedral grains or irregular lumps, produced by stream transport of malleable metals.
The density of arsenopalladinite is 10.4 g/cm3, and its hardness is 4.
Global Distribution
Arsenopalladinite is distributed in the following places:
- Minas Gerais, in the Itabira district, Brazil
- Caue iron mine, Brazil
- Stillwater complex, Montana, USA
- Merensky Reef, Bushveldt complex, Transvaal, South Africa
- Siikakama and Konttijarvi intrusions, northern Finland
Occurrence of Arsenopalladinite and Useful Mineral Association
Arsenopalladinite occurs in gold concentrates.
It is closely associated with hollingworthite, sperrylite, vysotaskite, braggite, stillwaterite, palladesite, palladium, gpold, quartz, isomertieite, atheneite, and hematite.
References