Otwayite Explained

Otwayite
Category:Carbonate mineral
Formula:Ni2CO3(OH)2
Imasymbol:Otw[1]
Strunz:5.DA.15
System:Orthorhombic
Unknown space group
Unit Cell:a = 10.18, b = 27.4, c = 3.22 [Å]; Z = 8
Color:Bright green
Habit:Sprays of Fibrous bundles oriented perpendicular to veinlet walls; spherules and claylike coatings
Mohs:4
Luster:Silky to waxy
Diaphaneity:Opaque to translucent
Gravity:3.41
Opticalprop:Biaxial
Refractive:nα = 1.650 nγ = 1.720
Birefringence:δ = 0.070
Pleochroism:Weak
Dispersion:Very strong
References:[2] [3]

Otwayite, Ni2CO3(OH)2, is a hydrated nickel carbonate mineral. Otwayite is green, with a hardness of 4, a specific gravity of 3.4, and crystallises in the orthorhombic system.

Occurrence

Otwayite is found in association with nullaginite and hellyerite in the Otway nickel deposit. It is found in association with theoprastite, hellyerite, gaspeite and a suite of other nickel carbonate minerals in the Lord Brassey Mine, Tasmania. Otwayite is found in association with gaspeite, hellyerite and kambaldaite in the Widgie Townsite nickel gossan, Widgiemooltha, Western Australia. It is also reported from the Pafuri nickel deposit, South Africa.It was first described in 1977 from the Otway Nickel Deposit, Nullagine, Pilbara Craton, Western Australia and named for Australian prospector Charles Albert Otway (born 1922).[3]

References

Notes and References

  1. Warr. L.N.. 2021. IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols. Mineralogical Magazine. 85. 3 . 291–320. 10.1180/mgm.2021.43 . 2021MinM...85..291W . 235729616 . free.
  2. http://www.mindat.org/min-3044.html Mindat.org
  3. http://rruff.geo.arizona.edu/doclib/hom/otwayite.pdf Handbook of Mineralogy