Laurite

Laurite
Laurite
General
Category	Sulfide mineral
Formula; (repeating unit)	RuS2
Strunz classification	2.EB.05a
Crystal system	Cubic
Crystal class	Diploidal (m3) ; H-M symbol: (P 2/m 3)
Space group	Pa3
Unit cell	a = 5.61 Å; Z = 4
Identification
Color	Iron-black; white to gray or bluish in polished section
Crystal habit	As octahedral, cubic, and pyritohedral crystals or as rounded grains and inclusions
Cleavage	Perfect on {111}
Fracture	Subconchoidal
Tenacity	Brittle
Mohs scale hardness	7.5
Luster	Metallic
Streak	Dark gray
Diaphaneity	Opaque
Specific gravity	6.43
Optical properties	Isotropic and opaque
References

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 rare, it occurs in many parts of the world.

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.^[2]

Discovery and occurrence[]

It was discovered in 1866 in Borneo, Malaysia and named for Laurie, the wife of Charles A. Joy, an American chemist.^[2] 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]

References[]

^ ^a ^b Laurite in the Handbook of Mineralogy
^ ^a ^b ^c Laurite on Mindat.org
^ Laurite data on Webmineral
^ Chianelli, R. R.; Berhault, G.; Raybaud, P.; Kasztelan, S.; Hafner, J.; Toulhoat, H. (2002). "Periodic Trends in Hydrodesulfurization: in Support of the Sabatier Principle". Appl. Catal., A. 227: 83–96. doi:10.1016/S0926-860X(01)00924-3.CS1 maint: uses authors parameter (link)

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[HBM-1] Laurite in the Handbook of Mineralogy

[Mindat-2] Laurite on Mindat.org

[Webmin-3] Laurite data on Webmineral

[4] Chianelli, R. R.; Berhault, G.; Raybaud, P.; Kasztelan, S.; Hafner, J.; Toulhoat, H. (2002). "Periodic Trends in Hydrodesulfurization: in Support of the Sabatier Principle". Appl. Catal., A. 227: 83–96. doi:10.1016/S0926-860X(01)00924-3.CS1 maint: uses authors parameter (link)

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