Anhydrous alkali copper sulfates constitute the most abundant group of mineral species from the Second Scoria Cone of the Great Tolbachik Fissure Eruption (1975–1976), a location being renowned for its great mineral diversity. Euchlorine, ideally KNaCu 3O(SO 4) 3, is the prevalent mineral in the hot sulfate-rich zones of the fumaroles. In this work, its thermal expansion and hydration/dehydration behavior have been studied. The results of a structure refinement from new single-crystal diffraction data are also reported, and a description of the structure based on anion-centered coordination polyhedra is given. The strongly anisotropic character of the thermal expansion of euchlorine remains essentially unchanged up to its decomposition. The strongest α 11 expansion is observed approximately perpendicular to the alkali interlayer of the structure, whereas the minimal α 22 and α 33 thermal expansion coefficients are parallel to the plane of {Cu 3O(SO 4) 3} 2− layers. Hydration experiments controlled by X-ray powder diffraction reveal a very complex behavior with multicomponent phase formation. Remarkably, upon heating stepwise dehydration occurs, whereby the complex mixture of hydrated sulfates gradually reverses and becomes again essentially single-phased anhydrous euchlorine.

Translated title of the contributionОбратимая гидратация/дегидратация и температурное расширение эвхлорина, KNaCu3O(SO4)3
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)403-416
Number of pages14
JournalPhysics and Chemistry of Minerals
Volume46
Issue number4
Early online date2018
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Apr 2019

    Scopus subject areas

  • Geochemistry and Petrology
  • Materials Science(all)

    Research areas

  • Euchlorine, Evolution of minerals, Exhalative minerals, Reversible hydration/dehydration, Sulfates, Thermal expansion, Tolbachik volcano, X-ray diffraction, CRYSTAL-STRUCTURE, KAMCHATKA, TETRAHEDRA, REFINEMENT, TOLBACHIK VOLCANO, Reversible hydration, dehydration, HYDRATED SULFATE MINERALS

ID: 36116061