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Naldrettite, Pd2Sb, a new intermetallic mineral from the Mesamax Northwest deposit, Ungava region, Québec, Canada

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 July 2018

L. J. Cabri ,
A. M. McDonald ,
C. J. Stanley ,
N. S. Rudashevsky ,
G. Poirier ,
B. R. Durham ,
J. E. Mungall  and
V. N. Rudashevsky
L. J. Cabri*
Affiliation:
Cabri Consulting Inc., 99 Fifth Avenue, Suite 122, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1S 5P5
A. M. McDonald
Affiliation:
Department of Earth Sciences, Laurentian University, Ramsey Lake Road, Sudbury, Ontario, Canada P3E 2C6
C. J. Stanley
Affiliation:
Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, UK
N. S. Rudashevsky
Affiliation:
Center for New Technologies, Roentgena Street 1, 197101, St. Petersburg, Russia
G. Poirier
Affiliation:
CANMET/MMSL, 555 Booth Street, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1A 0G1
B. R. Durham
Affiliation:
Canadian Royalties Inc., 1176 Delnite Road, Timmins, Ontario, Canada P4N 7J8
J. E. Mungall
Affiliation:
Department of Geology, University of Toronto, 22 Russell St., Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 3B1
V. N. Rudashevsky
Affiliation:
Center for New Technologies, Roentgena Street 1, 197101, St. Petersburg, Russia
*
*E-mail: lcabri@sympatico.ca
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Abstract

Naldrettite, Pd2Sb, is a new intermetallic mineral discovered in the Mesamax Northwest deposit, Cape Smith fold belt, Ungava region, northern Québec. It is associated with monoclinic pyrrhotite, pentlandite, chalcopyrite, galena, sphalerite, cobaltite, clinochlore, magnetite, sudburyite (PdSb), electrum and altaite. Other rarer associated minerals include a second new mineral (ungavaite, Pd4Sb3), sperrylite (PtAs2), michenerite (PdBiTe), petzite (Ag3AuTe4) and hessite (Ag2Te). Naldrettite occurs as anhedral grains, which are commonly attached or moulded to sulphide minerals, and also associated with clinochlore. Grains of naldrettite vary in size (equivalent circle diameter) from ~10 to 239 μm, with an average of 74.4 mm (n = 632). Cleavage was not observed and fracture is irregular. The mineral has a mean micro-indentation hardness of 393 kg/mm2. It is distinctly anisotropic, non-pleochroic, has weak bireflectance, and does not exhibit discernible internal reflections. Some grains display evidence of strain-induced polysynthetic twinning. Naldrettite appears bright creamy white in association with pentlandite, pyrrhotite, clinochlore and chalcopyrite. Reflectance values in air (and in oil) for R1 and R2 are: 49.0, 50.9 (35.9, 37.6) at 470 nm, 53.2, 55.1 (40.3, 42.1) at 546 nm, 55.4, 57.5 (42.5, 44.3) at 589 nm and 58.5, 60.1 (45.4, 47.2) at 650 nm. The average of 69 electron-microprobe analyses on 19 particles gives: Pd 63.49, Fe 0.11, Sb 35.75, As 0.31, and S 0.02, total 99.68 wt.%, corresponding to (Pd1.995Fe0.007)2.002(Sb0.982AS0.014S0.002)0.998. The mineral is orthorhombic, space group Cmc21, a 3.3906(1), b 17.5551(5), c 6.957(2) Å , V 414.097(3) Å3, Z = 8. Dcalc is 10.694(1) g/cm3. The six strongest lines in the X-ray powder-diffraction pattern [d in Å (I)(hkl)] are: 2.2454(100)(132), 2.0567(52)(043), 2.0009(40)(152), 1.2842(42)(115), 1.2122(50)(204) and 0.8584(56)(1.17.4).

Keywords

PGEPGM, naldrettitePd-Sbnew intermetallic mineral speciesplatinum-group elementsplatinum-group mineralshydroseparationMesamax Northwest depositCape Smith fold beltQuébecUngavaCanada
Type
Research Article
Information
Mineralogical Magazine , Volume 69 , Issue 1 , February 2005 , pp. 89 - 97
Copyright
Copyright © The Mineralogical Society of Great Britain and Ireland 2005

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