Sperrylite Mineral Data

General Sperrylite Information

Chemical Formula:

PtAs2

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 344.92 gm

Arsenic 43.44 % As

Platinum 56.56 % Pt

______

100.00 %

Empirical Formula:

PtAs₂

Environment:

Magmatic, in basic pegmatites, and alluvial deposits.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1889

Locality:

Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. Tweefontein, Republic of South Africa. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named after its discoverer, the American chemist, Francis L. Sperry of Tallmadge, Ohio, USA..

Name Pronunciation:

Sperrylite + Pronunciation

Synonym:

ICSD 38428

PDF 42-1341

Sperrylite Image

Images:

Sperrylite

Comments: Tin-white grain of sperrylite in chalcopyrite matrix.
Location: Vermillion mine, Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. Scale: Not Given.
© Lou Perloff / Photo Atlas of Minerals

Images:

Sperrylite

Comments: Brilliant, mirror-like modified octahedral crystals of sperrylite to 1.3 cm on chalcopyrite matrix..
Location: Talnak deposit, near Noril'sk, Russia. Scale: 4.4 x 2.3 x 2cm.
© Tom Loomis / Dakota Matrix

Images:

Sperrylite Cabriite

Comments: Small crystal of dull gray cabriite on a larger tin-white sperrylite crystal.
Location: Dzhezhazgan, Kazakhstan. Scale: Crystal size 1.5 mm.
© John Veevaert

Images:

Sperrylite Cabriite

Comments: Polished section (PPL) image of a ovoid grain of cabriite (Ca) rimmed by native silver (Ag) in a matrix of brownish cubanite (Cu), with tawny chalcopyrite (Cp). Surrounded on three sides by coarse, millimetric crystals of sperrylite (Sp).
Location: Norilâ€™sk-Talnakh mining district of northwestern Russia. (CanMin, v40:473). Scale: Feld of view 1.2 mm.
© Canadian Mineralogist

Sperrylite Crystallography

Cell Dimensions:

a = 5.967, Z = 4; V = 212.46 Den(Calc)= 10.78

Crystal System:

Isometric - DiploidalH-M Symbol (2/m 3) Space Group: P a3

$Help on X Ray Diffraction:$ X Ray Diffraction:

By Intensity(I/I_o): 1.801(1), 1.148(0.7), 2.98(0.6),

Forms:

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Forms: ( 1 0 2) ( 1 1 1) ( 1 0 0)

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Crystal Structure:

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Stassen W N , Heyding R D , Canadian Journal of Chemistry , 46 (1968) p.2159-2163, Crystal structures of RuSe2, OsSe2, PtAs2, and alpha-NiAs2, Locality: synthetic

Physical Properties of Sperrylite

Cleavage:

{001} Indistinct

Color:

Tin white.

Density:

10.58

Diaphaneity:

Opaque

Fracture:

Conchoidal - Fractures developed in brittle materials characterized by smoothly curving surfaces, (e.g. quartz).

Habit:

Crystalline - Fine - Occurs as well-formed fine sized crystals.

Habit:

Disseminated - Occurs in small, distinct particles dispersed in matrix.

Hardness:

6-7 - Orthoclase-Quartz

Luminescence:

Non-fluorescent.

Luster:

Metallic

Magnetism:

Nonmagnetic

Streak:

black

Optical Properties of Sperrylite

RL Pleochroism:

None.

Reflectivity

**Standardized Intensity (100%) Reflection Spectra of Sperrylite in Air**
λ	R	∑ R(λ)
400 nm	59.40
420 nm	58.20
440 nm	57.00
460 nm	56.20
480 nm	55.70
500 nm	55.40
520 nm	55.20
540 nm	55.20
560 nm	55.20
580 nm	55.20
600 nm	54.90
620 nm	54.40
640 nm	53.70
660 nm	53.20
680 nm	53.00
700 nm	53.40

**Calculated Relative Intensity Colors of Sperrylite in Air**
Relative Intensity	0%	20%	40%	60%	80%	100%	120%	140%	160%	170%
R

Calculated Properties of Sperrylite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=9.00 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Sperrylite =10.8 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.19
Boson Index = 0.81

Photoelectric:

PE_Sperrylite= 910.99 barns/electron
U=PE_Sperrylite x rElectron Density=8,199.75 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Sperrylite is Not Radioactive

Sperrylite Classification

Dana Class:

02.12.01.13 (02)Sulfides - Including Selenides and Tellurides

(02.12)where Am Bn Xp, with (m+n):p=1:2

(02.12.01)Pyrite Group (Isometric: Pa3)

02.12.01.01 Pyrite FeS2 P a3 2/m 3

02.12.01.02 Vaesite NiS2 P a3 2/m 3

02.12.01.03 Cattierite CoS2 P a3 2/m 3

02.12.01.04 Penroseite (Ni,Co,Cu)Se2 P a3 2/m 3

02.12.01.05 Trogtalite CoSe2 P a3 2/m 3

02.12.01.06 Villamaninite (Cu,Ni,Co,Fe)S2 P a3 2/m 3

02.12.01.07 Fukuchilite Cu3FeS8 P a3 2/m 3

02.12.01.08 Krutaite CuSe2 P a3 2/m 3

02.12.01.09 Hauerite MnS2 P a3 2/m 3

02.12.01.10 Laurite RuS2 P a3 2/m 3

02.12.01.11 Aurostibite AuSb2 P a3 2/m 3

02.12.01.12 Krutovite NiAs2 P a3 2/m 3

02.12.01.13 Sperrylite PtAs2 P a3 2/m 3

02.12.01.14 Geversite Pt(Sb,Bi)2 P a3 2/m 3

02.12.01.15 Insizwaite Pt(Bi,Sb)2 P a3 2/m 3

02.12.01.16 Erlichmanite OsS2 P a3 2/m 3

02.12.01.17 Dzharkenite FeSe2 P a3 2/m 3

02.12.01.18 Gaotaiite Ir3Te8 P a3 2/m 3

02.12.01.19 Mayingite IrBiTe P a3 2/m 3

Strunz Class:

02.EB.05a 02 - SULFIDES and SULFOSALTS (sulfides, selenides, tellurides; arsenides, antimonides, bismuthides; sulfarsenites, sulf

02.E - Metal Sulfides, M:S £ 1:2

02.EB -M:S = 1:2, with Fe, Co, Ni, PGE, etc.

02.EB.05a Aurostibite AuSb2 P a3 2/m 3

02.EB.05a Cattierite CoS2 P a3 2/m 3

02.EB.05a Hauerite MnS2 P a3 2/m 3

02.EB.05a Fukuchilite Cu3FeS8 P a3 2/m 3

02.EB.05a Dzharkenite FeSe2 P a3 2/m 3

02.EB.05a Erlichmanite OsS2 P a3 2/m 3

02.EB.05a Geversite Pt(Sb,Bi)2 P a3 2/m 3

02.EB.05a Gaotaiite Ir3Te8 P a3 2/m 3

02.EB.05a Insizwaite Pt(Bi,Sb)2 P a3 2/m 3

02.EB.05a Laurite RuS2 P a3 2/m 3

02.EB.05a Krutaite CuSe2 P a3 2/m 3

02.EB.05a Pyrite FeS2 P a3 2/m 3

02.EB.05a Penroseite (Ni,Co,Cu)Se2 P a3 2/m 3

02.EB.05a Sperrylite PtAs2 P a3 2/m 3

02.EB.05a Vaesite NiS2 P a3 2/m 3

02.EB.05a Villamaninite (Cu,Ni,Co,Fe)S2 P a3 2/m 3

02.EB.05a Trogtalite CoSe2 P a3 2/m 3

Other Sperrylite Information

References:

NAME( Mason68) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(AntBidBlaNic1)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Sperrylite :
1 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
2 - Amethyst Galleries' Mineral Gallery
3 - Athena
4 - EUROmin Project
5 - Ecole des Mines de Paris
6 - GeoScienceWorld
7 - Google Images
8 - Google Scholar
9 - Handbook of Mineralogy (MinSocAm)
10 - Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA)
11 - HyperPhysics
12 - MinDAT
13 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
14 - Online Mineral Museum
15 - QUT Mineral Atlas
16 - Ruff.Info
17 - WWW-MINCRYST

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Print or Cut-and-Paste your Sperrylite Specimen Label here :

Sperrylite

PtAs2
Dana No: 02.12.01.13 Strunz No: 02.EB.05a
Locality:

Notes: