Palladothallite, Pd3Tl, a new mineral from the Monchetundra layered intrusion, Kola Peninsula, Russia

Abstract

Palladothallite, Pd3Tl, is a new mineral discovered in the Monchetundra layered intrusion, Kola Peninsula, Russia. Palladothallite occurs in orthopyroxenite with disseminated Ni-Cu-Fe sulfides and in near-surface oxidized ore of an orthopyroxenite unit. In the holotype specimen, the new mineral forms anhedral grains about 1 to 20 μm in size intergrown with bortnikovite (Pt4Cu3Zn). Palladothallite and bortnikovite form a rim around tulameenite (Pt2FeCu), Pt-Pd-Fe-Cu alloys, and Pt-Pd-Fe-Cu “oxides” in a goethite matrix. In plane-polarized light, palladothallite is white, anisotropy was not observed; it exhibits no internal reflections. Reflectance values of palladothallite in air (R' in %) are: 53.9 at 470 nm, 57.1 at 546 nm, 59.4 at 589 nm and 61.7 at 650 nm. Twelve electron probe microanalyses of palladothallite gave an average composition (in wt.%): Pd 59.99, Cu 1.19, Fe 0.35, Ag 1.1, Tl 35.64, Se 0.34, and S 0.09, total 99.67, corresponding to the empirical formula (Pd2.894Cu0.096Fe0.032Ag0.053)∑3.075(Tl0.895Se0.023S0.008)∑0.926 based on four atoms, with the ideal formula Pd3Tl. The density, calculated on the basis of the empirical formula, is 13.04 g/cm3. Palladothallite crystallizes with the same structure as synthetic Pd3Tl, which was solved by Kurtzemann & Kohlmann (2010) from powder neutron diffraction data. Palladothallite is tetragonal, space group I4/mmm, with a 4.10659(9), c 15.3028(4) Å, V 258.07(1) Å3, and Z = 4. Palladothallite crystallizes in the ZrAl3 structure type. The name corresponds to its chemical composition, palladium and thallium.