Zykaite

Zykaite or zýkaite is a grey-white mineral consisting of arsenic, hydrogen, iron, sulfur and oxygen with formula: Fe3+4(AsO4)3(SO4)(OH)·15(H2O).[1] This dull mineral is very soft with a Mohs hardness of only 2 and a specific gravity of 2.5. It is translucent and crystallizes in the orthorhombic crystal system.[2]

Its common associates include limonite, gypsum, scorodite, quartz and arsenopyrite.[2] It is found in the Czech Republic, Poland and Germany.[3]

Zykaite was first described in 1978 for an occurrence in the Safary mine, Kutná Hora, Bohemia, Czech Republic and named in honour of Vaclav Zyka (born 1926), a Czech geochemist.[2][3]

References

  1. ↑ Webmineral data
  2. 1 2 3 Handbook of Mineralogy
  3. 1 2 Mindat.org


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