Deltalumite, a new natural modification of alumina with spinel-type structure

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Abstract

The new mineral deltalumite, an analogue of the spinel-type synthetic δ-Al2O3, the second, after corundum α-Al2O3, natural modification of alumina, was found in products of two eruptions of the Ploskiy Tolbachik Volcano (Kamchatka, Russia). It occurs in pores of basalt lava and basalt scoria altered by fumarolic gas. The mineral forms roundish aggregations up to 0.2 mm across which consist of blocky, coarse prismatic individuals up to 0.03 mm in size. Deltalumite is pale yellowish, pale beige or white, translucent, with vitreous lustre. The mineral is brittle. Dcalc = 3.663 g cm–3. Deltalumite is optically uniaxial (–), ω = 1.654(2), ε = 1.653(2) (λ = 589 nm). Chemical composition (electron microprobe) is: Al2O3 99.74, SiO2 0.04, total 99.78 wt %. The strongest reflections of powder X-ray diffraction pattern [d,Å(I)(hkl)] are: 2.728(61)(202), 2.424(51)(212), 2.408(49)(213), 2.281(42)(206), 1.993(81)(1.0.11, 220, 221), 1.954(48)(0.0.12) and 1.396(100)(327, 400, 2.1.14). The mineral is tetragonal, space group P-4m2 (by analogy with synthetic δ-Al2O3), unit-cell dimensions are: a = 5.608(1), c = 23.513(7) Å, V = 739.4(4) Å3 and Z = 16. Deltalumite belongs to the spinel subgroup within the oxyspinel group, its structural formula can be written as (Al0.67□0.33)Al2O4 in which □ means vacancy. The new mineral can be clearly distinguished from other modifications of alumina using powder X-ray diffraction pattern or IR spectrum.

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Igor Viktorovich Pekov

Moscow State University

Author for correspondence.
Email: igorpekov@mail.ru

Faculty of Geology

Russian Federation, Moscow

Leonid Pavlovich Anikin

Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, Far Eastern Division RAS

Email: alp@kscnet.ru

вед. инженер

Russian Federation, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky

Nikita Vladimirovich Chukanov

Institute of Problem of Chemical Physics of the Russian Academy of Science

Email: chukanov@icp.ac.ru

зав. лаб.

Russian Federation, Chernogolovka

Dmitry Il'ich Belakovskiy

Mineralogical Museum of the Russian Academy of Sciences

Email: dmzvr@mail.ru

зав. сектором

Russian Federation, Moscow

Vasiliy Olegovich Yapaskurt

Moscow State University

Email: yvo72@geol.msu.ru

вед. н. с., Геологический факультет

Russian Federation, Moscow

Evgeny Gennadievich Sidorov

Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, Far Eastern Division RAS

Email: mineral@kscnet.ru

зав. лаб.

Russian Federation, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky

Sergey Nikolaevich Britvin

Saint-Petersburg State University

Email: sbritvin@gmail.com

профессор, кафедра кристаллографии

Russian Federation, Saint-Petersburg

Natalia Vital'evna Zubkova

Moscow State University

Email: n.v.zubkova@gmail.com

доцент, Геологический факультет

Russian Federation, Moscow

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2. Fig. 1. Typical morphology of deltalumite. SEM (SE) images.

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3. Fig. 2. Powder IR absorption spectra of (а) deltalumite, (б) synthetic γ-Al2O3 (Saniger, 1995) and (в) synthetic analogue of corundum (Mutschke et al., 2013).

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4. Fig. 3. Crystal structures (drawn based on literature data) of different spinel-type modifications of alumina (а—д): а and б — δ-Al2O3 in two projections (Repelin, Husson, 1990); в — tetragonal γ-Al2O3 (Li et al., 1990); г — cubic γ-Al2O3 (Gutierrez et al., 2002); д — θ-Al2O3 (Husson, Repelin, 1996). The structures of maghemite Fe2O3 (е: Xu et al., 1997), spinel MgAl2O4 (ж: Ito et al., 2000) and corundum (з: Newnham, de Haan, 1962) are shown for comparison. Grey circles are Al atoms (in е: Fe atoms), black circles are O atoms. The unit cells are outlined.

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