Laurite Explained

Laurite
Struct Image:Kristallstruktur Pyrit.png
Struct Caption:Crystal structure of Laurite
S Ru
Category:Sulfide mineral
Formula:RuS2
Strunz:2.EB.05a
System:Cubic
Class:Diploidal (m)
H-M symbol: (P 2/m)
Symmetry:Pa
Unit Cell:a = 5.61 Å; Z = 4
Color:Iron-black; white to gray or bluish in polished section
Habit:As octahedral, cubic, and pyritohedral crystals or as rounded grains and inclusions
Cleavage:Perfect on
Fracture:Subconchoidal
Tenacity:Brittle
Mohs:7.5
Luster:Metallic
Streak:Dark gray
Diaphaneity:Opaque
Gravity:6.43
Density:6.43 g/cm3 (Measured) 6.39 g/cm3 (Calculated)
Opticalprop:Isotropic and opaque
References:[1] [2]

Laurite is an opaque black, metallic ruthenium sulfide mineral with formula: RuS2. It crystallizes in the isometric system. It is in the pyrite structural group. Though it's been found in many localities worldwide, it is extremely rare.

Laurite has a Mohs hardness of 7.5 and a specific gravity of 6.43. It can contain osmium, rhodium, iridium, and iron substituting for the ruthenium. The sulfur is present as the disulfide ion,, so the ruthenium is in the Ru(II) oxidation state.[3]

Discovery and occurrence

It was discovered in 1866 in Borneo, Malaysia and named for Laurie, the wife of Charles A. Joy, an American chemist. It occurs in ultramafic magmatic cumulate deposits and sedimentary placer deposits derived from them. It occurs associated with cooperite, braggite, sperrylite, other minerals of the platinum group elements and chromite.[1]

Synthetic RuS2 is a highly active catalyst for hydrodesulfurization.[4]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Anthony . John W. . Bideaux . Richard A. . Bladh . Kenneth W. . Nichols . Monte C. . Laurite . Handbook of Mineralogy . Mineral Data Publishing . 14 March 2022 . 2005.
  2. Web site: Laurite Mineral Data. Webmineral.com.
  3. Cocco . R.A. . Tatarchuk . B.J. . 1989 . Effects of presulfidization on the selectivity and surface structure of ruthenium catalysts . Langmuir . 5 . 6 . 1309–1315 . 10.1021/la00090a005 . 20 June 2022.
  4. Chianelli, R. R. . Berhault, G. . Raybaud, P. . Kasztelan, S. . Hafner, J. . Toulhoat, H. . Periodic Trends in Hydrodesulfurization: in Support of the Sabatier Principle. Appl. Catal., A . 2002. 227. 1–2. 83–96. 10.1016/S0926-860X(01)00924-3.