Eskolaite is a rare chromium oxide mineral (chromium(III) oxide Cr2O3).
Discovery and occurrence
It was first described in 1958 for an occurrence in the Outokumpu ore deposit of eastern Finland.[3] It occurs in chromium bearing tremolite skarns, metamorphosed quartzites and chlorite bearing veins in Finland; in glacial boulder clays in Ireland and in stream pebbles in the Merume River of Guyana.[2] It has also been recognized as a rare component in chondrite meteorites.[2]
The mineral is named after the Finnish geologist Pentti Eskola (1883–1964).
Structure and physical properties
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Eskolaite crystallizes with trigonal symmetry in the space group R3c and has the lattice parameters a = 4.95 Å and c = 13.58 Å at standard conditions. The unit cell contains six formula units. The lattice is analogous to that of corundum, with Cr3+ replacing Al3+.
See also
References
- ^ Warr, L.N. (2021). "IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols". Mineralogical Magazine. 85 (3): 291–320. Bibcode:2021MinM...85..291W. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43. S2CID 235729616.
- ^ a b c Eskolaite in the Handbook of Mineralogy
- ^ a b Eskolaite on Mindat.org
- ^ Eskolaite data on Webmineral.com
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