Original paper
Telluronevskite, Bi3TeSe2, a new mineral
Řídkošil, Tomas; Skála, Roman; Johan, Zdeněk; Šrein, Vladimir
European Journal of Mineralogy Volume 13 Number 1 (2001), p. 177 - 185
published: Jan 31, 2001
Abstract
The new mineral telluronevskite, ideally Bi3TeSe2, has been found as irregular grains disseminated in quartzite from the volcanic Vihorlat Mts near Košice in eastern Slovakia, Slovak Republic. The mineral forms massive aggregates up to 2 mm in diameter and/or individual disseminated tabular crystals flattened along (0001). Telluronevskite is megascopically steel grey in colour, with a metallic lustre and black streak. In reflected light, it is white with a yellow tint, very weak pleochroism and moderate anisotropy. Maximum and minimum values of reflectance measured in air for 470, 546, 589 and 650 nm are (Rmax/Rmin in %): 48.5/46.6; 51.1/48.5; 51.9/49.5; 52.8/50.5. Vickers micro-hardness (VHN10 in kp.mm-2) varied in the range 63-137 with mean value of 100. Microprobe analyses yield the empirical formula (Bi2.92Pb0.02)Te1.01(Se1.73S0.32). It is trigonal with space group P3¯m1. The unit-cell dimensions refined from X-ray powder microdiffraction data are a = 4.264(6) Å and c = 23.25(3) Å with c:a = 5.453:1. For Z = 2 the calculated density is Dx = 8.08(2) g.cm-3; measured density Dm = 8.1(2) g.cm-3. The five strongest lines in the diffraction pattern are (d (Å), I/I 0, hkl): 4.66, 19, 005; 3.12, 100, 104; 2.28, 33, 108; 2.13, 36, 110, 109; 1.355, 18, 1.0.16, 214. Constrained structure refinement from combined powder and precession data revealed ordering of Te and Se atoms within the telluronevskite crystal structure. Telluronevskite belongs to the tsumoite subgroup of the tetradymite group.
Keywords
telluronevskite • new mineral • tsumoite subgroup • tetradymite group • crystal structure • bismuth selenide telluride • vihorlat mts • slovakia