Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-dzt6s Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-28T18:46:26.218Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Schwertmannite, a new iron oxyhydroxysulphate from Pyhäsalmi, Finland, and other localities

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 July 2018

J. M. Bigham ,
L. Carlson  and
E. Murad
J. M. Bigham
Affiliation:
School of Natural Resources, The Ohio State University, 2021 Coffey Road, Columbus, Ohio, 43210-1086, U.S.A.
L. Carlson
Affiliation:
Pietarinkatu 10 B 16, FIN-00140 Helsinki, Finland
E. Murad
Affiliation:
Lehrstuhl für Bodenkunde, Technische Universität München, D-85350 Freising-Weihenstephan, Germany
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Schwertmannite is a new oxyhydroxysulphate of iron from the Pyhäisalmi sulphide mine, Province of Oulu, Finland. It occurs there, and elsewhere, as an ochreous precipitate from acid, sulphate-rich waters. Associated minerals at other localities may include jarosite, natrojarosite, goethite and ferrihydrite. Schwertmannite is a poorly crystalline, yellowish brown mineral with a fibrous morphology under the electron microscope. A high specific surface area in the range of 100 to 200 m2/g, rapid dissolution in cold, 5 M HCl or in ammonium oxalate at pH 3, and pronounced X-ray diffraction line broadening are consistent with its poorly crystalline character.

Colour parameters for the type specimen as related to CIE illuminant C are L* = 53.85, a* = + 15.93, and b* = +47.96. Chemical analysis gives Fe2O3, 62.6; SO3, 12.7; CO2, 1.5; H2O−, 10.2; H2O+, 12.9; total 99.9 wt.%. These data yield an empirical unit cell formula of Fe16O16(OH)9.6(SO4)3.2·10H2O after exclusion of CO2 and H2O−. The most general simplified formula is Fe16O16(OH)y(SO4)z·nH2O, where 16 − y = 2z and 2.0 ⩽ z ⩽ 3.5. Schwertmannite has a structure akin to that of akaganéite (nominally β-FeOOH) with a doubled c dimension. Its X-ray powder diffraction pattern consists of eight broad peaks [dobs in (Iobs) (hkl)] 4.86(37)(200,111); 3.39(46)(310); 2.55(100)(212); 2.28(23)(302); 1.95(12)(412); 1.66(21)(522); 1.51(24)(004); and 1.46(18)(204,542), giving a = 10.66(4), c = 6.04(1) Å, and V = 686(6) Å3 for a primitive, tetragonal unit cell. The probable space group is P4/m. Upon heating, schwertmannite transforms to hematite with Fe2(SO4)3 occurring as an intermediate phase. Bidentate bridging complexes between Fe and SO4 are apparent in infrared spectra. Mössbauer data show the Fe in schwertmannite to be exclusively trivalent and in octahedral coordination; it has a Néel temperature of 75 ± 5 K and a saturation magnetic hyperfine field of about 45.6 T. Pronounced asymmetry of the Mössbauer spectra indicates different locations for Fe atoms relative to SO4 groups in the structure. The name is for Udo Schwertmann, professor of soil science at the Technical University of Munich.

Keywords

schwertmannitenew mineralacid mine drainageironPyhäsalmiFinland
Type
Mineralogy
Information
Mineralogical Magazine , Volume 58 , Issue 393 , December 1994 , pp. 641 - 648
Copyright
Copyright © The Mineralogical Society of Great Britain and Ireland 1994

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Footnotes

*

Present address: Bayerisches Geologisches Landesamt, Staatliches Forschungsinstitut für Geochemie, Concordiastraße 28, D-96049 Bamberg, Germany.

References

Bigham, J. M., Schwertmann, U., Carlson, L. and Murad, E. (1990) A poorly crystallized oxyhy-droxysulfate of iron formed by bacterial oxidation of Fe(II) in acid mine waters. Geochim. Cosmo-chim. Ada, 54, 2743–58.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bigham, J. M., Schwertmann, U. and Carlson, L. (1992) Mineralogy of precipitates formed by the biogeochemical oxidation of Fe(II) in mine drainage. In: Biomineralization processes of iron and manganese: modern and ancient environments (H. C. W. Skinner and R. W. Fitzpatrick, eds.), Catena Supplement 21, Catena-Verlag, Cremlin-gen-Destedt, 219-32.Google Scholar
Brady, K. S., Bigham, J. M., Jaynes, W. F. and Logan, T. J. (1986) Influence of sulfate on Fe-oxide formation: comparisons with a stream receiving acid mine drainage. Clays Clay Minerals, 34, 266–74.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Commission Internationale de l'Eclairage (1978) Recommendations on uniform colour spaces, col-our difference and psychometric colour terms. Publ. 15, Suppl. 2, Colourimetry. CIE 1971, Paris.Google Scholar
Fanning, D. S., Rabenhorst, M. C. and Bigham, J. M. (1993) Colors of acid sulfate soils. In: Soil color (J. M. Bigham and E. J. Ciolkosz, eds.), Soil Sci. Soc. Am. Spec. Pub. 31, p. 91-108.Google Scholar
Fitzpatrick, R. W., Naidu, R. and Self, P. G. (1992) Iron deposits and microorganisms in saline sulfidic soils with altered soil water regimes in South Australia. In: Biomineralization processes of iron and manganese: modern and ancient environments (H. C. W. Skinner and R. W. Fitzpatrick, eds.), Catena Supplement 21, Catena-Verlag, Cremlingen-Destedt, 263-86.Google Scholar
Janik, L. M. and Raupach, M. (1977) An iterative, least-squares program to separate infrared absorption spectra into their component bands. CSIRO Div. Soils Tech. Paper 35, 1–37.Google Scholar
Lazaroff, N., Sigal, W. and Wasserman, A. (1982) Iron oxidation and precipitation of ferric hydro-xysulphates by resting Thiobacillus ferrooxidans cells. Appl. Environ. Microbiol., 43, 924–38.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lazaroff, N., Melanson, L., Lewis, E., Santoro, N. and Pueschel, C. (1985) Scanning electron micro-scopy and infrared spectroscopy of iron sediments formed by Thiobacillus ferrooxidans. Geomicro-biol. J., 4, 231–68.Google Scholar
Murad, E. (1988) The Mossbauer spectrum of ‘welT-crystallized ferrihydrite. J. Magnetism Magnetic Mater., 74, 153–7.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Murad, E., Bigham, J. M., Bowen, L. H. and Schwertmann, U. (1990) Magnetic properties of iron oxides produced by bacterial oxidation of Fe2+ under acid conditions. Hyperfine Interactions, 58, 2373–6.CrossRefGoogle Scholar