Sulfosalt mineral

Structure ofproustiteAg₃AsS₃,a classic sulfosalt, which can be viewed as theAg⁺salt ofAsS3−3.Sulfosalts characteristically feature A–S–B linkages, where A and B are different metals or metalloids.

Sulfosalt mineralsaresulfide mineralswith the general formulaA_mB_nX_p,where

• A represents ametalsuch ascopper,lead,silver,iron,and rarelymercury,zinc,vanadium
• B usually representssemi-metalsuch asarsenic,antimony,bismuth,and rarelygermanium,or metals liketinand rarelyvanadium
• X issulfuror rarelyseleniumand/ortellurium.

TheStrunz classificationincludes the sulfosalts in asulfides and sulfosaltssuperclass.A group which have similar appearing formulas are thesulfarsenides(for examplecobaltite(Co,Fe)AsS). In sulfarsenides the arsenic substitutes forsulfideanionswhereas in the sulfosalts the arsenic substitutes for a metalcation.

About 200 sulfosalt minerals are known. Examples include:

• 
  As illustrated by this specimen ofproustite,sulfosalt minerals are often deeply colored.

• A₃BX₃type
  • PyrargyriteAg₃SbS₃
  • ProustiteAg₃AsS₃
  • TetrahedriteCu₁₂Sb₄S₁₃
  • TennantiteCu₁₂As₄S₁₃
• A₃BX₄type
  • EnargiteCu₃AsS₄
  • SulvaniteCu₃VS₄
  • SamsoniteAg₄MnSb₂S₆
  • GeocronitePb₁₄(Sb,As)₆S₂₃
  • GratonitePb₉As₄S₁₅
• A₂BX₃type
  • BournonitePbCuSbS₃
  • SeligmannitePbCuAsS₃
  • AikinitePbCuBiS₃
• ABX₂type
  • BoulangeritePb₅Sb₄S₁₁
  • MatilditeAgBiS₂
  • SmithiteAgAsS₂
  • ChalcostibiteCuSbS₂
  • EmplectiteCuBiS₂
  • TeallitePbSnS₂
• A₂B₂X₅type
  • RamdohriteAg₃Pb₆Sb₁₁S₂₄
  • JamesonitePb₄FeSb₆S₁₄
  • CosalitePb₂Bi₂S₅
• A₂B₃X₆type
  • AndoritePbAgSb₃S₆
  • LindstromitePb₃Cu₃Bi₇S₁₅
• AB₂X₄type
  • ZinkenitePb₉Sb₂₂S₄₂
  • BerthieriteFeSb₂S₄
  • CylindritePb₃Sn₄FeSb₂S₁₄

Nickel–Strunz Classification -02- Sulfosalts

IMA-CNMNC proposes a new hierarchical scheme (Mills et al., 2009). This list uses theClassification of Nickel–Strunz(mindat.org,10 ed, pending publication).

• Abbreviations:
  • "*" – discredited (IMA/CNMNC status).
  • "?"– questionable/doubtful (IMA/CNMNC status).
  • "REE" –Rare-earth element(Sc, Y, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Pm, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu)
  • "PGE" –Platinum-group element(Ru, Rh, Pd, Os, Ir, Pt)
  • 03.C Aluminofluorides, 06 Borates, 08 Vanadates (04.H V^[5,6]Vanadates), 09 Silicates:
    • Neso: insular (fromGreekνῆσοςnēsos,island)
    • Soro: grouping (fromGreekσωρόςsōros,heap, mound (especially of corn))
    • Cyclo: ring (fromGreekκύκλοςkyklos,wheel, ring, round)
    • Ino: chain (fromGreekἴς [genitive: ἰνόςinos], fibre)
    • Phyllo: sheet (fromGreekφύλλονphyllon,leaf)
    • Tekto: three-dimensional framework (fromGreekstem τεκτ-tekt-in words having to do with carpentry)
• Nickel–Strunz code scheme: NN.XY.##x
  • NN: Nickel–Strunz mineral class number
  • X: Nickel–Strunz mineral division letter
  • Y: Nickel–Strunz mineral family letter
  • ##x: Nickel–Strunz mineral/group number, x add-on letter

Class: sulfosalts

• 02.G Sulfarsenites, sulfantimonites, sulfobismuthites
  • 02.G: IMA2007-010
  • 02.GA Neso-sulfarsenites, etc., without additional S: 05Proustite,05Pyrargyrite;10Xanthoconite,10Pyrostilpnite;15Samsonite;20Wittichenite,20Skinnerite,25Malyshevite,25Lisiguangite,25Muckeite,25Lapieite;30Aktashite,30Nowackiite,30Gruzdevite;35Laffittite;40Stalderite,40Routhierite;45Erniggliite;50Seligmannite,50Soucekite,50Bournonite
  • 02.GB Neso-sulfarsenites, etc.: 05Argentotennantite,05Giraudite,05Goldfieldite,05Freibergite,05Hakite,05Tennantite,05Tetrahedrite;10Selenostephanite,10Stephanite;15Cupropearceite,15Selenopolybasite,15Cupropolybasite,15Polybasite,15Pearceite,15Antimonpearceite,15Arsenpolybasite,20Galkhaite
  • 02.GC Poly-sulfarsenites: 05Hatchite,05Wallisite;10Sinnerite,15Watanabeite,20Simonite,25Q­ratite,30Smithite,35Trechmannite,40aAleksite,40bKochkarite,40cRucklidgeite,40cPoubaite,40dSaddlebackite,40eBabkinite;45Tvalchrelidzeite,50Mutnovskite
• 02.H Sulfosalts of SnS Archetype
  • 02.HA With Cu, Ag, Fe (without Pb): 05Emplectite,05Chalcostibite;10Miargyrite,15Livingstonite;20Berthierite,20Clerite,20Garavellite;25Baumstarkite,25Aramayoite
  • 02.HB With Cu, Ag, Hg, Fe, Sn and Pb: 05aKrupkaite,05aAikinite,05aHammarite,05aGladite,05aFriedrichite,05aLindstromite,05aPekoite,05aPaarite,05aEmilite,05aSalzburgite,05bMeneghinite,05cJaskolskiite;10aKobellite,10aTintinaite,10bGiessenite,10bIzoklakeite,10cEclarite;15Jamesonite,15Benavidesite;20aNagyagite,20bBuckhornite,20cMuseumite,20dBerryite,20eWatkinsonite
  • 02.HC With only Pb: 05aSartorite,05aTwinnite,05aGuettardite,05bBaumhauerite,05b Baumhauerite-2a, 05cLiveingite,05dDufrenoysite,05dVeenite,05dRathite,05eChabourneite,05fPierrotite,05fParapierrotite,05gMarumoite;10aFuloppite,10bBismutoplagionite*, 10bPlagionite,10cHeteromorphite,10dSemseyite,10dRayite;15Boulangerite,15Falkmanite,15Plumosite*; 20Robinsonite,25Moeloite,30Dadsonite,35Zoubekite,35Owyheeite
  • 02.HD With Tl: 05Lorandite,05Weissbergite;15Christite,20Jankovicite,25Rebulite,30Imhofite,35Edenharterite,40Jentschite,45Hutchinsonite,50Bernardite,55Sicherite,60Gabrielite
  • 02.HE With alkalies,H₂O:05Gerstleyite
  • 02.HF With SnS and PbS archetype structure units: 20Vrbaite;25aAbramovite,25aLevyclaudite,25aCylindrite,25bCoiraite,25bIncaite,25bPotosiite,25bFranckeite;30Lengenbachite
• 02.J Sulfosalts of PbS Archetype
  • 02.JA Galena derivatives with little or no Pb: 05a IMA2005-036, 05a IMA2008-058, 05aCupropavonite,05aPavonite,05bGrumiplucite,05cKudriavite,05dCupromakovickyite,05dMakovickyite,05eBenjaminite,05fMummeite,05gBorodaevite,05hMozgovaite;10aCuprobismutite,10bKupcikite,10cHodrushite,10dPizgrischite,10ePaderaite;15Cuboargyrite,15Schapbachite;20Bohdanowiczite,20Matildite,20Volynskite
  • 02.JB Galena derivatives, with Pb: 05Diaphorite,10Cosalite;15Marrite,15Freieslebenite;20Cannizzarite,20Wittite;25aJunoite,25bFelbertalite,25cNordstromite,25dProudite,25gNuffieldite,25i IMA2008-053, 25iNeyite,25jRouxelite;30aJordanite,30aGeocronite,30bKirkiite,30cTsugaruite;35aZinkenite,35bScainiite,35cPillaite,35dPellouxite;40aBursaite?, 40aGustavite,40aLillianite,40aXilingolite,40aTreasurite,40aVikingite,40aFizelyite,40aAndorite,40aRoshchinite,40aUchucchacuaite,40aRamdohrite,40bAschamalmite,40bEskimoite,40bHeyrovskyite,40cOurayite,40dSchirmerite,40eUstarasite;45Angelaite,45Galenobismutite,45Weibullite;55Gratonite,60Marrucciite,65Vurroite
  • 02.JC Galena derivatives, with Tl: 05Ellisite,10Gillulyite
• 02.K Sulfarsenates, Sulfantimonates
  • 02.KA Sulfarsenates with(As,Sb)S₄tetrahedra: 05Enargite,05Stibioenargite*, 05Petrukite;10Briartite,10Famatinite,10Luzonite,10Permingeatite,10Barquillite;15Fangite
  • 02.KB Sulfarsenates with additional S: 05Billingsleyite
• 02.L Unclassified Sulfosalts
  • 02.LA Without essential Pb: 10Dervillite,15Daomanite*, 20Vaughanite,25Criddleite,30Fettelite,35Chameanite,40Arcubisite,45Mgriite,50Benleonardite,55Tsnigriite,60Borovskite,65Jonassonite
  • 02.LB With essential Pb: 05Miharaite,20Ardaite,30Madocite,35Larosite;40Petrovicite,40Mazzettiite;45Crerarite,50Launayite,55Playfairite,60Sorbyite,65Sterryite
• 02.M
  • 02.MA Oxysulfosalts of Alkalies and Alkali Earths: 05Ottensite,05Cetineite;10Sarabauite
• 02.X Unclassified Strunz Sulfosalts
  • 02.XX Unknown: 00Tazieffite,00Horobetsuite*, 00Kitaibelite?, 00Parajamesonite?, 00Sakharovaite?, 00Volfsonite*

Synthetic sulfosalts

Many sulfosalts can be prepared in the laboratory, including many that do not occur in nature.

References

• Mozgova N.N. (2000).Sulfosalt mineralogy today.In:Modern Approaches to Ore and Environmental Mineralogy,MSF Mini-Symposium Espoo Finland, June 11–17, 2000,https://web.archive.org/web/20050907172937/http:// igem.ru/igem/mine/sulfosalts.htmRetrieved July 22, 2005.
• Moëlo, Yves;Makovicky, Emil; Mozgova, Nadejda N.; Jambor, John L.; Cook, Nigel; Pring, Allan; Paar, Werner;Nickel, Ernest H.;et al. (2008)."Sulfosalt systematics: a review. Report of the sulfosalt sub-committee of the IMA Commission on Ore Mineralogy"(PDF).European Journal of Mineralogy.20(1): 7.doi:10.1127/0935-1221/2008/0020-1778.
• Stuart J. Mills; Frédéric Hatert; Ernest H. Nickel & Giovanni Ferraris (2009)."The standardisation of mineral group hierarchies: application to recent nomenclature proposals"(PDF).Eur. J. Mineral.21(5): 1073–1080.doi:10.1127/0935-1221/2009/0021-1994.
• Ernest H. Nickel & Monte C. Nichols (March 2009)."IMA-CNMNC List of Mineral Names"(PDF).IMA-CNMNC.
• Ferraiolo, Jim."Nickel–Strunz (Version 10) Classification System".webmineral.