New data for pitticite and a second occurrence of yukonite at Sterling Hill, New Jersey

Abstract

ABSTRACT. Pitticite is re-examined analytically and found to be a gel-like mineral of widely varying composition. Previously reported minor amounts of accessory elements are indeed present in pitticite. The name pitticite has validity only as a generic name for gel-like ferric iron arsenate minerals of varying composition.Yukonite is reported from the Sterling Hill mine, Ogdensburg, New Jersey, the second occurrence. New data for yukonite suggest the name should be retained.

Molecular and structural investigation of yukonite (synthetic & natural) and its relation to arseniosiderite

“…At this point is worthy to comment further on the wide range of composition (in terms of Fe, As, Ca and H 2 O/OH content) and the many different formulae that have been proposed by previous authors (Tyrrell and Graham, 1913;Jambor, 1966;Dunn, 1982;Ross and Post, 1997;Pieczka et al, 1998;Nishikawa et al, 2006;Paktunc et al, 2003Paktunc et al, , 2004Garavelli et al, 2009;Walker et al, 2009) including the present study. Thus, one may postulate that this difference in composition may arise from the type of analytical technique used (Electron Microprobe, XRF, TEM-EDS and XPS) or as a result of non-homogeneous samples.…”

“…Jambor later (1966) re-examined the yukonite formula and proposed the following: Ca 6 Fe 16 (AsO 4 ) 10 (OH) 30 Á 23H 2 O. The occurrence of yukonite since then has been reported among others, in the Sterling Hill mine, Ogdensburg, New Jersey, USA by Dunn (1982), in Saalfeld, Thuringen, Germany by Ross and Post (1997), Redziny, Sudetes, Poland by Pieczka et al (1998), Nishikawa et al (2006) in Kamchatka, Russia and very recently by Garavelli et al (2009) in Grotta della Monaca, Italy. Yukonite has been reported to occur most often as intensively fractured, gel-like aggregates or dark brownish in hand-specimens; in smaller fragments it is purple reddish and slightly translucent.…”

Sulphate and arsenate minerals as environmental indicators in the weathering zones of selected ore deposits, Western Sudetes, Poland

“…This is a poorly known, amorphous sulphate-arsenate of iron with a variable chemical composition (Dunn 1982;Filippi et al 2004;Gieré et al 2003;Frost et al 2011;Langmuir et al 2006). In Radzimowice, pitticite mainly forms stalactites and stalagmites with lengths up to 20 cm (Text- fig.…”

Synthesis, characterization, and thermodynamics of arsenates forming in the Ca-Fe(III)-As(V)-NO3system: Implications for the stability of Ca-Fe arsenates

“…Yukonite was first reported in a mine claim near Tagish Lake, Yukon, Canada, by Tyrrell and Graham (1913). Other reported occurrences include Sterling Hill mine, New Jersey, U.S.A. (Dunn 1982), Saalfeld, Thüringen, Germany (Ross and Post 1997), dolomitic limestones of Redziny, Poland (Pieczka et al 1998), Nalychevskie hot springs, Russia (Nishikawa et al 2006) and mineralized karstic cave, Cosenza, Italy (Garavelli et al 2009). Arseniosiderite belongs to the mitridatite (Moore and Araki 1976) and robertsite structural group of minerals, which can be characterized by the general formula Ca 2 A 3 O 2 (TO 4 ) 3 ·nH 2 O with A = Fe, Mn; T = As, P; and n = 2 or 3 (Andrade et al 2012).…”