Oosterboschite

Oosterboschite is a rare selenide mineral with the formula (Pd,Cu)7Se5.[1] It crystallises in the orthorhombic crystal system. It has a creamy yellow colour and a Moh's hardness of 5.[2] It is often found as grains with no clear shape.[3] The crystals are opaque and often no bigger than 0.4 mm.

Oosterboschite
Black Oosterboschite with trogtalite, cuprosklodowskite, and quartz from the Musonoi mine. From the Howard Belsky collection.
General
CategorySelenide minerals
Formula
(repeating unit)
(Pd,Cu)7Se5
Strunz classification2.BC.10
Dana classification2.16.15.2
Crystal systemOrthorhombic
Unknown space group
Unit cella = 10.42, b = 10.6,
c = 14.43, Z = 8
Identification
ColourCreamy yellow-white
Crystal habitAnhedral grains
Mohs scale hardness5
LusterMetallic
StreakBlack
DiaphaneityOpaque
Density8.48 (calculated)
Ultraviolet fluorescenceNone
SolubilityInsoluble
References

Occurrence

The mineral was approved by the IMA in 1970, after being discovered in the Musonoi Cu–Co mine, near Kolwezi, Katanga Province, Congo. It was later also discovered at the Copper Hills prospect, East Pilbara, Australia, and at Hope’s Nose, Torquay, Devon, England.[4] It is often found in the oxidation zones of the mines, together with verbeekite, trogtalite, selenian digenite, covellite, gold, and chrisstanleyite. It was named after Robert Oosterbosch, a Belgian mining engineer that was very active in the Katanga region, where the type locality is also located.[2]

See also

References

  1. "Oosterboschite: Oosterboschite mineral information and data". www.mindat.org. Retrieved 2017-01-13.
  2. Zdenek Johan, Paul Picot, Roland Pierrot, Theodore Verbeek (1972). "Oosterboschite" (PDF). American Mineralogist. 57: 1553.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  3. Barthelmy, Dave. "Oosterboschite Mineral Data". www.webmineral.com. Retrieved 2017-01-13.
  4. "Oosterboschite" (PDF). Handbook of Mineralogy.
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