On the composition of delafossite

Abstract

SummaryOxides of the Cu-Fe-O system prepared by solid-state reaction methods have been investigated by X-ray, Mössbauer effect, and analytical chemical techniques. In agreement with most previous investigations of this system, it is found that CuFeO2 exists as a stable compound, and that the mineral delafossite has essentially this composition. These results are in disagreement with those of Buist, Gadalla, and White who propose that delafossite has an approximate composition Cu6Fe3O7 instead of CuFeO2. In fact, a compound of composition Cu6F3O7 could not be prepared. The Mössbauer isomer shift provides confirmation that the iron in CuFeO2 is trivalent.