Vigrishinite, Zn2Ti4 − xSi4O14(OH,H2O,□)8, a new mineral from the Lovozero alkaline complex, Kola Peninsula, Russia

TLDR: Vigrishinite as mentioned in this paper is an epistolite-group member and first layer titanosilicate with species-defining Zn, which was found at Mt. Malyi Punkaruaiv, in the Lovozero alkaline complex, Kola Peninsula, Russia.

Abstract: A new mineral vigrishinite, epistolite-group member and first layer titanosilicate with species-defining Zn, was found at Mt. Malyi Punkaruaiv, in the Lovozero alkaline complex, Kola Peninsula, Russia. It occurs in a hydrothermally altered peralkaline pegmatite and is associated with microcline, ussingite, aegirine, analcime, gmelinite-Na, and chabazite-Ca. Vigrishinite forms rectangular or irregularly shaped lamellae up to 0.05 × 2 × 3 cm flattened on [001]. They are typically slightly split and show blocky character. The mineral is translucent to transparent and pale pink, yellowish-pinkish or colorless. The luster is vitreous. The Mohs’ hardness is 2.5–3. Vigrishinite is brittle. Cleavage is {001} perfect. Dmeas = 3.03(2), Dcalc = 2.97 g/cm3. The mineral is optically biaxial (−), α = 1.755(5), β = 1.82(1), γ = 1.835(8), 2Vmeas = 45(10)°, 2Vcalc = 50°. IR spectrum is given. The chemical composition (wt %; average of 9 point analyses, H2O is determined by modified Penfield method) is as follows: 0.98 Na2O, 0.30 K2O, 0.56 CaO, 0.05 SrO, 0.44 BaO, 0.36 MgO, 2.09 MnO, 14.39 ZnO, 2.00 Fe2O3, 0.36 Al2O3, 32.29 SiO2, 29.14 TiO2, 2.08 ZrO2, 7.34 Nb2O5, 0.46 F, 9.1 H2O, −0.19 O=F2, total is 101.75. The empirical formula calculated on the basis of Si + Al = 4 is: H7.42(Zn1.30Na0.23Mn0.22Ca0.07Mg0.07K0.05Ba0.02)Σ1.96(Ti2.68Nb0.41Fe0.183+Zr0.12)Σ3.39(Si3.95Al0.05)Σ420.31F0.18. The simplified formula is: Zn2Ti4−xSi4O14(OH,H2O,□)8 (x < 1). Vigrishinite is triclinic, space group P\(\bar 1\), a = 8.743(9), b = 8.698(9), c = 11.581(11)A, α = 91.54(8)°, β = 98.29(8)°, γ = 105.65(8)°, V = 837.2(1.5) A3, Z = 2. The strongest reflections in the X-ray powder pattern (d, A, −I[hkl]) are: 11.7-67[001], 8.27-50[100], 6.94-43[0\(\bar 1\)1, \(\bar 1\)10], 5.73–54[1\(\bar 1\)1, 002], 4.17-65[020, \(\bar 1\)\(\bar 1\)2, 200], and 2.861-100[3\(\bar 1\)0, 2\(\bar 2\)2, 004, 1\(\bar 3\)1]. The crystal structure model was obtained on a single crystal, R = 0.171. Vigrishinite and murmanite are close in the structure of the TiSiO motif, but strongly differ from each other in part of large cations and H-bearing groups. Vigrishinite is named in honor of Viktor G. Grishin (b. 1953), a Russian amateur mineralogist and mineral collector, to pay tribute to his contribution to the mineralogy of the Lovozero Complex. The type specimen is deposited in the Fersman Mineralogical Museum of Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow.