Sulfosalt minerals

Sulfosalt minerals are those complex sulfide minerals with the general formula: A_mB_nS_p; where A represents a metal such as copper, lead, or silver; B represents a semi-metal such as arsenic, antimony or bismuth; and S is sulfur or rarely selenium. In the more simple sulfosalt formulas m = p = 3n is an approximation.

Additional recommended knowledge

Essential Laboratory Skills Guide

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There are about 200 known sulfosalt minerals, a few of the more common or important (as ore minerals) sulfosalt minerals are:

• Pyrargyrite Ag₃SbS₃
• Proustite Ag₃AsS₃
• Enargite Cu₃AsS₄
• Tetrahedrite Cu₁₂Sb₄S₁₃
• Tennantite Cu₁₂As₄S₁₃
• Bournonite PbCuSbS₃
• Jamesonite Pb₄FeSb₆S₁₄

References

• Hurlbut, Cornelius S.; Klein, Cornelis, 1985, Manual of Mineralogy, 20th ed., John Wiley and Sons, New York ISBN 0-471-80580-7
• N.N. Mozgova, 2000, Sulfosalt mineralogy today in MODERN APPROACHES TO ORE AND ENVIRONMENTAL MINERALOGY, MSF Mini-Symposium Espoo Finland, June 11-17, 2000, http://www.igem.ru/igem/mine/sulfosalts.htm Retrieved July 22, 2005.