Grammatikopoulosite, NiVP, a New Phosphide from the Chromitite of the Othrys Ophiolite, Greece

Abstract

Grammatikopoulosite, NiVP, is a new phosphide discovered in the podiform chromitite and hosted in the mantle sequence of the Othrys ophiolite complex, central Greece. The studied samples were collected from the abandoned chromium mine of Agios Stefanos. Grammatikopoulosite forms small crystals (from 5 μm up to about 80 μm) and occurs as isolated grains. It is associated with nickelphosphide, awaruite, tsikourasite, and an undetermined V-sulphide. It is brittle and has a metallic luster. In plane-polarized light, it is creamy-yellow, weakly bireflectant, with measurable but not discernible pleochroism and slight anisotropy with indeterminate rotation tints. Internal reflections were not observed. Reflectance values of mineral in air (R1, R2 in %) are: 48.8–50.30 at 470 nm, 50.5–53.5 at 546 nm, 51.7–55.2 at 589 nm, and 53.2–57.1 at 650 nm. Five spot analyses of grammatikopoulosite give the average composition: P 19.90, S 0.41, Ni 21.81, V 20.85, Co 16.46, Mo 16.39, Fe 3.83, and Si 0.14, total 99.79 wt %. The empirical formula of grammatikopoulosite—based on Σ(V + Ni + Co + Mo + Fe + Si) = 2 apfu, and taking into account the structural results—is (Ni0.57Co0.32Fe0.11)Σ1.00(V0.63Mo0.26Co0.11)Σ1.00(P0.98S0.02)Σ1.00. The simplified formula is (Ni,Co)(V,Mo)P and the ideal formula is NiVP, which corresponds to Ni 41.74%, V 36.23%, P 22.03%, total 100 wt %. The density, calculated on the basis of the empirical formula and single-crystal data, is 7.085 g/cm3. The mineral is orthorhombic, space group Pnma, with a = 5.8893(8), b = 3.5723(4), c = 6.8146(9) Å, V = 143.37(3) Å3, and Z = 4. The mineral and its name have been approved by the Commission of New Minerals, Nomenclature and Classification of the International Mineralogical Association (IMA 2019-090). The mineral honors Tassos Grammatikopoulos, geoscientist at the SGS Canada Inc., for his contribution to the economic mineralogy and mineral deposits of Greece.