Chemistry:Millosevichite

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Millosevichite
Millosevichite-629135.jpg
Porous yellow millosevichite. Dimensions: 14 mm × 10 mm × 8 mm. Locality: Kladno Mine (Nejedlý I Mine; Zdeněk Nejedlý Mine; Schoeller Mine; Schöller Mine), Libušin, Kladno, Central Bohemia Region, Bohemia (Böhmen; Boehmen), Czech Republic.
General
CategorySulfate mineral
Formula
(repeating unit)
Al2(SO4)3
Strunz classification7.AB.05
Crystal systemTrigonal
Crystal classRhombohedral (3)
H-M symbol: (3)
Space groupR3
Unit cella = 8.05 Å, c = 21.19 Å; Z = 6
Identification
ColorIndigo, bright red, brick-red
Crystal habitGranular aggregates of minute crystals; stalactitic porous masses
Mohs scale hardness1.5
|re|er}}Vitreous
DiaphaneitySemitransparent
Specific gravity1.72 measured
Optical propertiesUniaxial (+)
Refractive indexnω = 1.500 nε = 1.515
Birefringenceδ = 0.015
Other characteristicsHygroscopic
References[1][2][3]

Millosevichite is a rare sulfate mineral with the chemical formula Al2(SO4)3.[2] Aluminium is often substituted by iron. It forms finely crystalline and often porous masses.

It was first described in 1913 for an occurrence in Grotta dell'Allume, Porto Levante, Vulcano Island, Lipari, Aeolian Islands, Sicily. It was named for Italian mineralogist Federico Millosevich (1875–1942) of the University of Rome.[1]

The mineral is mainly known from burning coal dumps, acting as one of the main minerals forming sulfate crust. It can be also found in volcanic fumeroles (solfatara environments).[1][5] It occurs with native sulfur, sal ammoniac, letovicite, alunogen and boussingaultite.[1]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Handbook of Mineralogy
  2. 2.0 2.1 Mindat
  3. Webmineral
  4. Warr, L.N. (2021). "IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols". Mineralogical Magazine 85 (3): 291–320. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43. Bibcode2021MinM...85..291W. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/mineralogical-magazine/article/imacnmnc-approved-mineral-symbols/62311F45ED37831D78603C6E6B25EE0A. 
  5. Chesnokov B. V. and Shcherbakova E. P. 1991: Mineralogiya gorelykh otvalov Chelyabinskogo ugolnogo basseina – opyt mineralogii tekhnogenesa. Nauka, Moscow