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Luobusaite: A New Mineral
Author(s) -
Wenji BAI,
Nicheng SHI,
Qingsong FANG,
Guowu LI,
Ming XIONG,
Jingsui YANG,
He RONG
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
acta geologica sinica ‐ english edition
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.444
H-Index - 61
eISSN - 1755-6724
pISSN - 1000-9515
DOI - 10.1111/j.1755-6724.2006.tb00289.x
Subject(s) - chromitite , ophiolite , peridotite , mineral , orthorhombic crystal system , geochemistry , geology , chromite , mineralogy , coesite , mantle (geology) , crystallography , materials science , chemistry , crystal structure , metallurgy , paleontology , tectonics , eclogite , subduction
A group of mantle minerals including about 70–80 subtypes of minerals are discovered from a podiform chromitite in Tibet, China. Recovered minerals include diamond, coesite, moissanite, wustite, Fe‐silides and a new mineral, luobusaite. All of these minerals were hand‐picked from heavy‐mineral separates of the podiform chromitite in the mantle peridotite of an ophiolite. The grains of luobusaite are as host mineral with inclusions of native silicon or as an intergrowth with native silicon and Fe‐Si phase. Luobusaite occurs as irregular grains, with 0.1–0.2 mm in size, consisting of very finegrained aggregates. The mineral is steel‐grey in color, metallic luster, and opaque. The empirical formula (based on 2 for Si) is Fe 0.83 Si 2 , according to the chemical compositions of luobusaite. X‐ray powder‐diffraction data: orthorhombic system, space group Cmca, a = 9.874 (14) Å, b = 7.784 (5) Å, c = 7.829(7) Å, Z=16.