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Alvanite

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Kurumsak V Deposit, Kurumsak River Valley, Karatau Range, Ongtüstik Qazaqstan Oblysy (Southern-Kazakhstan Oblast'), Kazakhstan
© Pavel M. Kartashov

Show Alvanite Photos (5)
Formula:
(Zn,Ni)Al
 
4
[(OH)
 
12
|V
 
2
O
 
6
] · 2H
 
2
O
System:MonoclinicColour:Light bluish green to ...
Hardness:3 - 3½
Name:Named in allusion to its composition, containing ALuminium and VANadium.


The zinc analogue of Ankinovichite.

Classification of Alvanite

IMA status:Approved
Strunz 8th edition ID:4/G.07-20
Nickel-Strunz 10th (pending) edition ID:8.FE.05

8 : PHOSPHATES, ARSENATES, VANADATES
F : Polyphosphates, Polyarsenates, [4]-Polyvanadates
E : Ino-[4]-vanadates
Dana 8th edition ID:42.13.13.1

42 : HYDRATED PHOSPHATES, ETC.CONTAINING HYDROXYL OR HALOGEN
13 : Miscellaneous
Hey's CIM Ref.:21.3.2

21 : Vanadates (and vanadates with arsenate or phosphate)
3 : Vanadates of Al, rare earths, Pb, V or Bi
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Type Occurrence of Alvanite

Co-type Localities:Balasauskandyk V Deposit, Karatau Range, Ongtüstik Qazaqstan Oblysy (Southern-Kazakhstan Oblast'), Kazakhstan
Kurumsak V Deposit, Kurumsak River Valley, Karatau Range, Ongtüstik Qazaqstan Oblysy (Southern-Kazakhstan Oblast'), Kazakhstan
General Appearance of Type Material:micalike platelets
Year of Discovery:1959
Geological Setting of type material:oxidation zone of a vanadiferous clay-anthraxolite horizon
Associated Minerals at type locality:
Mica Group

Physical Properties of Alvanite

Lustre:Vitreous, Pearly
Diaphaneity (Transparency):Translucent
Colour:Light bluish green to bluish black
Streak:White
Hardness (Mohs):3 - 3½
Cleavage:Perfect
on {010}
Fracture:Micaceous
Density (measured):2.49 g/cm3
Density (calculated):2.492 g/cm3

Crystallography of Alvanite

Crystal System:Monoclinic
Class (H-M):2/m - Prismatic
Space Group:P21/m {P1 1 21/m} {P21/m} {P1 21/m 1}
Cell Parameters:a = 17.808Å, b = 5.132Å, c = 8.881Å
β = 92.11°
Ratio:a:b:c = 3.47 : 1 : 1.731
Unit Cell Volume:V 811.09 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Z:2
Morphology:hexagonal platelets, with forms {001}, {010}, {100} and {101}
Twinning:polysynthetic, parallel to {010}
X-Ray Powder Diffraction:
d-spacingIntensity
4.46 (100)
8.91 (90)
7.85 (80)
5.02 (50)
1.973 (40)
3.287 (35)

Optical Data of Alvanite

Type:Biaxial (-)
RI values: nα = 1.658 nγ = 1.714
2V:Measured: 80° to 85°
Maximum Birefringence:δ = 0.056

Chart shows birefringence interference colour range (at 30µm thickness) and does not take into account mineral colouration.
Surface Relief:Moderate
Dispersion:r < v, strong

Chemical Properties of Alvanite

Formula:
(Zn,Ni)Al
 
4
[(OH)
 
12
|V
 
2
O
 
6
] · 2H
 
2
O
Essential elements:Al, H, O, V, Zn
All elements listed in formula:Al, H, Ni, O, V, Zn
Analytical Data:Results from electron microprobe analysis, water content calculated from the mass balance
V2O5 (27.5)
Al2O3 (34.2)
FeO (0.3)
NiO (4.2)
ZnO (7.6)
H2O (26.2)

sum 100.0 wt.-%
Empirical Formula:
(Zn
 
0.57
Ni
 
0.34
Fe
 
0.02
)
 
=0.93
Al
 
4.09
V
 
1.84
O
 
20.50
H
 
17.69

Relationship of Alvanite to other Species

Related Minerals - Nickel-Strunz Grouping):

- +
8.FE.05Ankinovichite
(Ni,Zn)Al
 
4
[(OH)
 
12
|V
 
2
O
 
6
] · 2.5H
 
2
O
Related Minerals - Hey's Index Grouping:

- +
21.3.1Steigerite
AlVO
 
4
·3H
 
2
O
21.3.3Metaschoderite
Al
 
2
(PO
 
4
)(VO
 
4
)·6H
 
2
O
21.3.4Schoderite
Al
 
2
(PO
 
4
)(VO
 
4
)·8H
 
2
O
21.3.5Satpaevite
Al
 
12
V
 
2
V
 
6
O
 
37
·30H
 
2
O
21.3.6Vanalite
NaAl
 
8
V
 
10
O
 
38
·30H
 
2
O
21.3.7Wakefieldite-(Ce)
CeVO
 
4
21.3.7Wakefieldite-(Y)
YVO
 
4
21.3.8Chervetite
Pb
 
2
[V
 
2
O
 
7
]
21.3.9Mottramite
Pb(Cu,Zn)[OH|VO
 
4
]
21.3.10Descloizite
Pb(Zn,Cu)[OH|VO
 
4
]
21.3.11Clinobisvanite
BiVO
 
4
21.3.11Dreyerite
BiVO
 
4
21.3.11Pucherite
BiVO
 
4
21.3.12Schumacherite
Bi
 
3
[O|OH|(VO
 
4
)
 
2
]
21.3.13Namibite
Cu(BiO)
 
2
(VO
 
4
)(OH)
21.3.14Pottsite
HPbBi(VO
 
4
)
 
2
·2H
 
2
O
21.3.15Duhamelite
(Pb,Bi,Ca)Cu[(OH,O)|VO
 
4
]

Other Names for Alvanite

Other Languages:
German:Alvanit
Russian:Альванит
Spanish:Alvanita

Other Information

Health Warning:No information on health risks for this material has been entered into the database. You should always treat mineral specimens with care.

References for Alvanite

Reference List:Ankinovich, E. A. (1959): New vanadium minerals - satpaevite and al'vanite [alvanite]. Zapiski Vserossiyskogo Mineralogicheskogo Obshchestva 88, 157-164 (in Russian). - American Mineralogist (1959), 44, 1325-1326 (abstract).

Pertlik, F. and Dunn, P. J. (1990): Crystal structure of alvanite, (Zn,Ni)Al4(VO3)2(OH)^2 x 2H2O, the first example of an unbranched zweier-single chain vanadate in nature. Neues Jahrbuch für Mineralogie, Monatshefte, 385-392.

Dunn, P. J., Roberts, A. C. and Pertlik, F. (1990): Alvanite from Kazakhstan, U.S.S.R.: new crystallographic and chemical data. Mineralogical Magazine 54, 609-611.

Anthony, J. W. et al. (1997): Handbook of Mineralogy, Vol. 3, 12.

Internet Links for Alvanite

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    Localities for Alvanite

    (TL) indicates type locality. ? indicates mineral may be doubtful at this locality. All other localities listed without reference should be considered as uncertain and unproven until references can be found.
    Kazakhstan
     
    • Ongtüstik Qazaqstan Oblysy (Southern-Kazakhstan Oblast')
      • Karatau Range
    		Pekov, I. (1998) Minerals First discovered on the territory of the former Soviet Union 369p. Ocean Pictures, Moscow
        • Kurumsak River Valley
    		Pekov, I. (1998) Minerals First discovered on the territory of the former Soviet Union 369p. Ocean Pictures, Moscow
    Mineral and/or Locality
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