Jarosite

Jarosite

Jarosite is a basic hydrous sulfate of potassium and iron with a chemical formula of KFe(III)3(OH)6(SO4)2. This mineral is formed in ore deposits by the oxidation of iron sulfides. Jarosite is often produced as a byproduct during the purification and refining of Zinc and is also commonly associated with AMD (acid mine drainage) environments.

Physical Properties

Jarosite is hexagonal and brittle, with basal cleavage, a hardness of 2.5-3.5, and a specific gravity of 3.15-3.26. It is translucent to opaque with a vitreous to dull lustre, and is coloured dark yellow to yellowish-brown. It can sometimes be confused with limonite or goethite with which it commonly occurs in the gossan (oxidized cap over an ore body). Jarosite is an iron analogue of the potassium aluminium sulfate, alunite.

History

Jarosite was first described in 1852 by August Breithaupt in the Barranco del Jaroso in the Sierra Almagrera (near Los Lobos, Cuevas del Almanzora, Almería, Spain).

In 2004 Jarosite was detected on Mars by a Mössbauer spectrometer on the MER-B rover, which has been interpreted as strong evidence that Mars once possessed large amounts of liquid water.

Use in materials science

Jarosite is also a more generic term denoting an extensive family of compounds of the form AM3(OH)6(SO4)2, where A+ = Na, K, Rb, NH4, H3O, Ag, Tl and M3+ = Fe, Cr, V. In condensed matter physics and materials science they are renowned for containing layers with kagome lattice structure, relating to geometrically frustrated magnets [cite journal | last = Harrison | first = A. | year = 2004 | title = First catch your hare: the design and synthesis of frustrated magnets | journal = J. Phys.: Condens. Matter | volume = 16 | issue = 9-12 | pages = S553–S572 | doi = 10.1088/0953-8984/16/11/001 ] , [cite journal | last = Wills | first = A. S. et al. | year = 2000 | title = Magnetic properties of pure and diamagnetically doped jarosites: Model kagomé antiferromagnets with variable coverage of the magnetic lattice | journal = Phys. Rev. B | volume = 61 | issue = 9 | pages = 6156–6169 | doi = 10.1103/PhysRevB.61.6156] .

References

* Palache, C., H. Berman, and C. Frondel (1951) Dana’s system of mineralogy, (7th edition), v. II, 560–562
* [http://www.mindat.org/min-2078.html Mindat]
* [http://webmineral.com/data/Jarosite.shtml Webmineral data]
* [http://rruff.geo.arizona.edu/doclib/hom/jarosite.pdf Mineral Data PDF]
* [http://www.news.cornell.edu/Chronicle/04/3.4.04/jarosite.html Cornell University (2004) "How an obscure mineral provided a vital clue to Martian water"]

External links

* [http://tierra.rediris.es/jarosite/ Further information about the Jaros Hydrothermal system]


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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Jarosite — Catégorie VII : sulfates, sélénates tellurates, chromates, molybdates, tungstates[1] Jarosite, vue de 2 mm, Espagne …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Jarosite — Ja*ro site, n. [From Barranco Jaroso, in Spain.] (Min.) An ocher yellow mineral occurring in minute rhombohedral crystals. It is a hydrous sulphate of iron and potash. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • jarosite — jarozitas statusas T sritis chemija apibrėžtis Mineralas. formulė KFe₃[(OH)₆|(SO₄)₂] atitikmenys: angl. jarosite rus. ярозит …   Chemijos terminų aiškinamasis žodynas

  • jarosite — /jar euh suyt , jeuh roh suyt/, n. a yellowish or brownish mineral, a hydrous sulfate of potassium and iron, KFe3(SO4)2(OH)6, occurring in small crystals or large masses. [1850 55; named after Barranco Jaroso (in Almería, Spain); see ITE1] * * * …   Universalium

  • jarosite — noun A mineral with rhombohedral crystals, KFe(SO)(OH) …   Wiktionary

  • jarosite —    A cave mineral KFe3(SO4)2(OH)6 [11] …   Lexicon of Cave and Karst Terminology

  • jarosite — Смотри Ярозит …   Энциклопедический словарь по металлургии

  • jarosite — ja·ro·site …   English syllables

  • jarosite — /ˈdʒærəsaɪt/ (say jaruhsuyt) noun a yellowish or brownish mineral, K2Fe6(SO4)4(OH)12, occurring in crystals or large masses. {named after Barranco Jaroso, in Almeria, south eastern Spain. See ite1} …  

  • jarosite — jəˈrōˌsīt, ˈjȧrəˌs noun ( s) Etymology: German jarosit, from Barranco Jaroso, Almería, Spain + German it ite : an ocher yellow or brown mineral KFe3(SO4)2(OH)6 consisting of basic sulfate of potassium and iron and occurring in minute… …   Useful english dictionary

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