Sulfide minerals classification

It is likely that the lead and sulfur atoms in most of the lead sulfarsenites and related minerals have the tercovalent argonic structures Pb—- and S y+, as in galena. Nowacki (1969) has published a valuable summary of results of structural studies of the so-called sulfosalt minerals, in relation to a system of classification of the structures that he has developed. Many structures of sulfide minerals have been determined by him and his coworkers. 

Goldschmidt (32) also introduced the concept of a geochemical classification of elements, in which the elements are classified on the basis of their affinities and tendencies to occur in minerals of a single group. The chalcophile elements are those which commonly form sulfides. In addition to sulfur, they include Zn, Cd, Hg, Cu, Pb, As, Sb, Se, and others. When present in coals, these elements would be expected to occur, at least in part, in sulfide minerals. Sulfides other than pyrite and marcasite have been noted in coals, but, except in areas of local concentration, they occur in trace or minor amounts. 

Each of these solid phases can be described in terms of their mineralogy. This classification scheme is based on crystal structure and chemical composition. The most common minerals found in marine sediments are listed in Table 13.2. Most are silicates in which Si and O form a repeating tetrahedral base unit. Other minerals common to marine sediments are carbonates, sulfates, and oxyhydroxides. Less common are the hydrogenous minerals as they form only in restricted settings. These include the evap-orite minerals (halides, borates, and sulfates), hydrothermal minerals (sulfides, oxides, and native elements, such as gold), and phosphorites. 

TABLE 11.5 The redox classification of sedimentary environments showing bounding concentrations of dissolved oxygen (O2) and total sulfide (as H2S) in /jM and index Fe and Mn minerals ... 

Minerals are most commonly classified on the basis of the presence of a major chemical component (i.e., anion or anionic complex) into several mineral classes such as, for instance, native elements, sulfides and sulfosalts, oxides, carbonates, sulfates, phosphates, silicates, etc. Today, there exist two main mineralogical classifications of minerals according to either... 

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