Perryite, (Ni,Fe)16PSi5, from the Mount Egerton aubrite: the first natural P-Si-ordered phosphide-silicide

Abstract

Perryite, natural Ni-silicide, is a minor but regular constituent of the metal phase in enstatite chondrite (aubrite) and enstatite chondrite meteorites. Its synthetic analog was shown to have promising catalytic properties. The first-time solution of the crystal structure of natural perryite was completed on the material from the Mount Egerton aubrite. The mineral is trigonal, R3̄c, a = 6.6525(5), c = 37.998(5) Å, V = 1456.3(3) and Z = 6. The structure was refined to R1 = 0.0137 based on 457 independent observed reflections. The chemical formula obtained from the structure refinement, (Ni14.14Fe1.88)Σ16.02PSi5, agrees with that derived from the electron microprobe data, (Ni13.39Fe2.65Co0.01)Σ16.05P1.22Si4.74. This research showed that P and Si in perryite are ordered, resulting in the simplified formula (Ni,Fe)16PSi8, in contrast to the currently accepted variant (Ni,Fe)8(Si,P)3. The detailed results of EBSD study reveal previously unknown relationships between perryite, associated α-(Fe,Ni) metal (also known as kamacite) and schreibersite, (Fe,Ni)3P. Since enstatitic meteorites represent the early stages of nebular accretion, our results demonstrate that the crystal-chemical factor could affect the differentiation of chemical elements upon the onset of the Solar System formation.