First terrestrial occurrence of the complex phosphate chladniite: crystal-structure refinement by synchrotron through-the-substrate microdiffraction

Chladniite, a complex phosphate species belonging to the fillowite group so far only found in meteorites, was identified in a pegmatite from Córdoba (Argentina) as inclusions in beusite. Applying synchrotron through-the-substrate microdiffraction technique (tts-μXRD) to polished thin sections prepar...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Vallcorba, Oriol, Casas, Lluís, Colombo, Fernando, Frontera, Carlos, Rius, Jordi
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión enviada para evaluación y publicación
Fecha de publicación:2017
País:España
Institución:Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
Repositorio:DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
OAI Identifier:oai:digital.csic.es:10261/155837
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/10261/155837
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:tts-μXRD
Chladniite
Complex phosphates
Fillowite group
Polished thin section
Synchrotron radiation
Meteorites
Pegmatites
Thin glass substrates
Crystal structure refinement
Descripción
Sumario:Chladniite, a complex phosphate species belonging to the fillowite group so far only found in meteorites, was identified in a pegmatite from Córdoba (Argentina) as inclusions in beusite. Applying synchrotron through-the-substrate microdiffraction technique (tts-μXRD) to polished thin sections prepared on very thin glass substrates (0.1 mm), diffraction data with nearly single-crystal quality were directly measured at selected chladniite microvolumes of the section. Chladniite is trigonal (space group R-3), with a = 15.0133(3) Å, c = 42.887(2) Å, V = 8371.6(5) Å3. The subsequent crystal structure refinement confirms that the accuracy attainable by using 0.1 mm thick glass-substrates is comparable to that of routine single-crystal measurements [R1=3.34% for 1617 unique reflections]. The refined crystal structure of pegmatitic chladniite differs from meteoritic one in the cation ordering (Mg, Fe+Mn and Ca) at the various metal sites, with Mn being dominant at the M(1) position.