Sorbyite
A valid IMA mineral species
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About Sorbyite
Henry Clifton Sorby
Formula:
CuPb9(Sb,As)11S26
In the type material Sb:As is about 3:1.
Colour:
Lead gray
Lustre:
Metallic
Hardness:
3½ - 4
Specific Gravity:
5.52 (Calculated)
Crystal System:
Monoclinic
Name:
Named after Henry Clifton Sorby (1826-1908), chemist and geologist, independent research scientist of Sheffield (England), and a pioneer in the application of physics to explain geological phenomena. He is acknowledged, particularly, for his innovation of making thin sections of rocks to study their mineral composition, texture, etc. and is regarded as the founder of microscopical petrology.
Formula redefined by Moëlo et al. (2008) as CuPb9(Sb,As)11S26, but the structure has not been determined.
Unique Identifiers
Mindat ID:
3715
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:1:3715:6
GUID
(UUID V4):
(UUID V4):
df5c84eb-900d-4c7a-a105-5d54ff1b8c30
IMA Classification of Sorbyite
Approved
IMA Formula:
Pb9Cu(Sb,As)11S26
Approval year:
1966
First published:
1967
Classification of Sorbyite
2.LB.30
2 : SULFIDES and SULFOSALTS (sulfides, selenides, tellurides; arsenides, antimonides, bismuthides; sulfarsenites, sulfantimonites, sulfbismuthites, etc.)
L : Unclassified Sulfosalts
B : With essential Pb
2 : SULFIDES and SULFOSALTS (sulfides, selenides, tellurides; arsenides, antimonides, bismuthides; sulfarsenites, sulfantimonites, sulfbismuthites, etc.)
L : Unclassified Sulfosalts
B : With essential Pb
3.6.12.1
3 : SULFOSALTS
6 : 2 < ø < 2.49
3 : SULFOSALTS
6 : 2 < ø < 2.49
5.6.21
5 : Sulphosalts - Sulpharsenites and Sulphobismuthites (those containing Sn, Ge,or V are in Section 6)
6 : Sulpharsenites etc. of Pb alone
5 : Sulphosalts - Sulpharsenites and Sulphobismuthites (those containing Sn, Ge,or V are in Section 6)
6 : Sulpharsenites etc. of Pb alone
Mineral Symbols
As of 2021 there are now IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols (abbreviations) for each mineral species, useful for tables and diagrams.
| Symbol | Source | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Srb | IMA–CNMNC | Warr, L.N. (2021). IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols. Mineralogical Magazine, 85(3), 291-320. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43 |
Physical Properties of Sorbyite
Metallic
Transparency:
Opaque
Colour:
Lead gray
Streak:
Black
Hardness:
3½ - 4 on Mohs scale
Hardness:
VHN50=175 kg/mm2 - Vickers
Cleavage:
Perfect
on {001}
on {001}
Density:
5.52 g/cm3 (Calculated)
Optical Data of Sorbyite
Anisotropism:
Strong
Reflectivity:
| Wavelength | R1 | R2 |
|---|---|---|
| 470nm | 45% | 39% |
| 640nm | 40% | 34% |
Graph shows reflectance levels at different wavelengths (in nm). Top of box is 100%. Peak reflectance is 45%.
R1 shown in black, R2 shown in red
Colour in reflected light:
White
Pleochroism:
Strong
Chemistry of Sorbyite
Mindat Formula:
CuPb9(Sb,As)11S26
In the type material Sb:As is about 3:1.
In the type material Sb:As is about 3:1.
Crystallography of Sorbyite
Crystal System:
Monoclinic
Class (H-M):
2/m - Prismatic
Space Group:
B2/m
Setting:
C2/m
Cell Parameters:
a = 45.15 Å, b = 4.14 Å, c = 26.53 Å
β = 113.42°
β = 113.42°
Ratio:
a:b:c = 10.906 : 1 : 6.408
Unit Cell V:
4,550.47 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Z:
2
Morphology:
Equant to thin tabular
Twinning:
Irregular lamellae in polished sections
X-Ray Powder Diffraction
Powder Diffraction Data:
| d-spacing | Intensity |
|---|---|
| 3.44 Å | (100) |
| 3.38 Å | (90) |
| 4.13 Å | (60) |
| 2.96 Å | (60) |
| 2.099 Å | (50) |
| 4.02 Å | (40) |
| 3.04 Å | (40) |
Geological Environment
Paragenetic Mode(s):
| Paragenetic Mode | Earliest Age (Ga) |
|---|---|
| High-𝑇 alteration and/or metamorphism | |
| 33 : Minerals deposited by hydrothermal metal-rich fluids (see also [#12]) |
Geological Setting:
Hydrothermal
Type Occurrence of Sorbyite
General Appearance of Type Material:
Loose crystal fragments, equant to thin tabular.
Place of Conservation of Type Material:
Canadian Geological Survey, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 35802.
Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 35802.
Reference:
Jambor, J.L. (1967) New lead sulfantimonides from Madoc, Ontario. 2. Mineral descriptions. The Canadian Mineralogist: 9: 191-213.
Synonyms of Sorbyite
Other Language Names for Sorbyite
Common Associates
Associated Minerals Based on Photo Data:
Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat Grouping
| 2.LB. | Ciriottiite | Cu(Cu,Ag)3Pb19(Sb,As)22(As2)S56 |
| 2.LB. | Hayyanite | Cu5Ag11Pb76Sb71As17(As2+)8S224 |
| 2.LB.05 | Miharaite | Cu4FePbBiS6 |
| 2.LB.30 | Ardaite | Pb19Sb13S35Cl7 |
| 2.LB.30 | Launayite | CuPb10(Sb,As)12S20 |
| 2.LB.30 | Madocite | Pb19(Sb,As)16S43 |
| 2.LB.30 | Playfairite | Pb16(Sb,As)19S44Cl |
| 2.LB.30 | Sterryite | Cu(Ag,Cu)3Pb19(Sb,As)22(As-As)S56 |
| 2.LB.35 | Larosite | (Cu,Ag)21PbBiS13 |
| 2.LB.40 | Petrovicite | Cu3HgPbBiSe5 |
| 2.LB.40 | Mazzettiite | Ag3HgPbSbTe5 |
| 2.LB.45 | Crerarite | Pt2-x(Bi,Pb)11(S,Se)11 |
| 2.LB.50 | Quijarroite | Cu6HgPb2Bi4Se12 |
| 2.LB.55 | Znamenskyite | Pb4In2Bi4S13 |
Other Information
Notes:
KOH tarnishes it brown to iridescent; l:7 HNO3 tarnishes it brown: and 1:1 HNO3 tarnishes it iridescent to black.
Health Risks:
No information on health risks for this material has been entered into the database. You should always treat mineral specimens with care.
Internet Links for Sorbyite
mindat.org URL:
https://www.mindat.org/min-3715.html
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References for Sorbyite
Reference List:
Jambor, John Leslie (1967) New lead sulfantimonides from Madoc, Ontario. Part 1. The Canadian Mineralogist, 9 (1) 7-24
Jambor, John Leslie (1967) New lead sulfantimonides from Madoc, Ontario. Part 2 - mineral descriptions. The Canadian Mineralogist, 9 (2) 191-213
Jambor, John Leslie (1968) New lead sulfantimonides from Madoc, Ontario. Part 3-syntheses, paragenesis, origin. The Canadian Mineralogist, 9 (4) 505-521
Moëlo, Yves, Makovicky, Emil, Mozgova, Nadejda N., Jambor, John L., Cook, Nigel, Pring, Allan, Paar, Werner, Nickel, Ernest H., Graeser, Stephan, Karup-Møller, Sven, Balic-unic, Tonči, Mumme, William G., Vurro, Filippo, Topa, Dan (2008) Sulfosalt systematics: a review. Report of the sulfosalt sub-committee of the IMA Commission on Ore Mineralogy. European Journal of Mineralogy, 20 (1) 7-62 doi:10.1127/0935-1221/2008/0020-1778
Localities for Sorbyite
symbol to view information about a locality.
The Locality List
- This locality has map coordinates listed.
- This locality has estimated coordinates.
ⓘ - Click for references and further information on this occurrence.
? - Indicates mineral may be doubtful at this locality.
- Good crystals or important locality for species.
- World class for species or very significant.
(TL) - Type Locality for a valid mineral species.
(FRL) - First Recorded Locality for everything else (eg varieties).
All localities listed without proper references should be considered as questionable.
Canada (TL) | |
| Jambor (1967) +3 other references |
France | |
| Bourgoin et al. (2011) |
Indonesia | |
| Nur et al. (2012) |
Kyrgyzstan | |
| Kolesar et al. (1993) |
USA | |
| Jambor (1967) |
| Castor et al. (2004) |
| Castor et al. (2004) |
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