Plattnerite

plattnerite

cerussite

leadhillite

pyromorphite

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Formula: PbO2
Simple oxide, rutile group, paramorph of scrutinyite
Crystal System: Tetragonal
Specific gravity: 9.564 measured, 9.563 calculated
Hardness: 5½
Streak: Dark brown
Colour: Jet-black, iron-black, brownish black
Solubility: Soluble in hydrochloric acid with evolution of Cl2, soluble with difficulty in nitric or sulphuric acid with evolution of oxygen (Dana)
Environments

Hydrothermal environments

Plattnerite occurs in weathered hydrothermal base-metal deposits, oxidised typically in arid climates. Associated minerals include cerussite, smithsonite, hemimorphite, leadhillite, hydrozincite, rosasite, aurichalcite, murdochite, pyromorphite, wulfenite, calcite and quartz (HOM).

Localities

At the Nakhlak Mine, Anarak District, Nain County, Isfahan Province, Iran, epigenetic (formed later than the surrounding or underlying rock formation) vein deposits and metasomatic replacement bodies are hosted by a chalky Upper Cretaceous (100.5 to 66 million years ago) limestone. The limestone underwent dolomitisation prior to sulphide mineralisation. The principal primary ore mineral is galena, associated with minor or trace amounts of sphalerite, tetrahedrite -tennantite, pyrite and chalcopyrite as inclusions. The main secondary ore mineral is cerussite, sometimes associated with minor amounts of anglesite, plattnerite, wulfenite, minium, mimetite, covellite, chalcanthite, malachite and goethite. Many trace elements are present in the primary galena, but most notably it is rich in silver and antimony and poor in bismuth.
Plattnerite and cerussite are the most abundant secondary minerals here, and they are very often associated. Plattnerite often forms large crystals to 8 mm in size, but they are deformed and dull (Minrec 54.3.383-408).

At the Tsumeb Mine, Tsumeb, Oshikoto Region, Namibia, plattnerite occurs with minium and massicot as coatings (Dana).

At the type locality, Leadhills, South Lanarkshire, Scotland, UK, plattnerite occurs with cerussite, leadhillite and pyromorphite (Dana).

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