Lulzacite is a
strontium
Strontium is the chemical element with the symbol Sr and atomic number 38. An alkaline earth metal, strontium is a soft silver-white yellowish metallic element that is highly chemically reactive. The metal forms a dark oxide layer when it is ...
-containing
phosphate mineral
Phosphate minerals contain the tetrahedrally coordinated phosphate (PO43−) anion along sometimes with arsenate (AsO43−) and vanadate (VO43−) substitutions, and chloride (Cl−), fluoride (F−), and hydroxide (OH−) anions that also fit ...
with the chemical formula Sr
2Fe
2+(Fe
2+,Mg)
2Al
4(PO
4)
4(OH)
10.
The mineral was first described in 2000 from
quartzite
Quartzite is a hard, non- foliated metamorphic rock which was originally pure quartz sandstone.Essentials of Geology, 3rd Edition, Stephen Marshak, p 182 Sandstone is converted into quartzite through heating and pressure usually related to tec ...
deposits () at
Saint-Aubin-des-Châteaux
Saint-Aubin-des-Châteaux (; br, Sant-Albin-ar-C'hestell) is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France.
Geography
The village is located in the northwestern part of the commune on the right bank of the river Chère, which ...
, Loire-Atlantique, France, and is named after
Y. Lulzac
''Y.'' is the second studio album released by Spanish singer-songwriter Bebe. Released on June 29, 2009, the album received positive critical reviews, and entered the Spanish Album Chart at number one. It was released after Bebe's four-year hia ...
, a French geologist who discovered the mineral. In this deposit, lulzacite occurs within
quartz
Quartz is a hard, crystalline mineral composed of silica ( silicon dioxide). The atoms are linked in a continuous framework of SiO4 silicon-oxygen tetrahedra, with each oxygen being shared between two tetrahedra, giving an overall chemical ...
and
siderite
Siderite is a mineral composed of iron(II) carbonate (FeCO3). It takes its name from the Greek word σίδηρος ''sideros,'' "iron". It is a valuable iron mineral, since it is 48% iron and contains no sulfur or phosphorus. Zinc, magnesium an ...
veinlets at quartzite–
limestone
Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms wh ...
contacts. Other minerals found in the veinlets include
apatite
Apatite is a group of phosphate minerals, usually hydroxyapatite, fluorapatite and chlorapatite, with high concentrations of OH−, F− and Cl− ions, respectively, in the crystal. The formula of the admixture of the three most common ...
,
goyazite, and
pyrite
The mineral pyrite (), or iron pyrite, also known as fool's gold, is an iron sulfide with the chemical formula Fe S2 (iron (II) disulfide). Pyrite is the most abundant sulfide mineral.
Pyrite's metallic luster and pale brass-yellow hue giv ...
.
Lulzacite crystallizes in the
triclinic system with P space group. It is isostructural with
jamesite (Pb
2Zn(Fe
2+,Zn)
2Fe
3+4(AsO
4)
4(OH)
10).
References
Phosphate minerals
Strontium minerals
Iron(II) minerals
Magnesium minerals
Aluminium minerals
Triclinic minerals
Minerals in space group 2
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