On the new mineral theophrastite, a nickel hydroxide, from Unst, Shetland, Scotland

Abstract

AbstractThe new mineral theophrastite, Ni(OH)2, from Unst, is Mg-bearing and occurs associated with a very poorly crystalline Ni-containing mixed hydroxide of the pyroaurite type and/or zaratite on chromitite. X-ray powder diffraction data show a shift in d spacing toward brucite compared with pure Ni(OH)2. Infrared, thermal, chemical, optical, and physical data are presented together with indexed powder data for fifteen lines ranging from d 4.66Å to 0.90Å. The solid-solution series brucite-theophrastite is briefly discussed.