Skutterudite
A valid IMA mineral species - grandfathered
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About Skutterudite
Formula:
CoAs3
Also given as (Co,Fe,Ni)As2-3.
Colour:
Tin-white to silver-gray, gray (tarnished)
Lustre:
Metallic
Hardness:
5½ - 6
Specific Gravity:
6.5
Crystal System:
Isometric
Name:
Named in 1845 by Wilhelm Karl von Haidinger after its discovery locality, Skutterud, Modum, Norway.
The earliest name that possibly refers to any skutterudite-like material, cobaltum eineraceum, was introduced by Georgius Agricola in 1529. Wallerius used several names for a skutterudite-like mineral (kobaltglants, kobaltmalm, minera cobalti cinerea, cobaltum arsenico mineralisatum). Named speiskobalt by Werner (see Hausmann, 1813), but also seemingly equally applied to safflorite and smaltite. Arsenikkobaltkies was used by Karl Johann August Theodor Scheerer for Norwegian skutterudite in 1837 and Arsenikkobalt was used in 1852 by Gustav Rose.
The earliest name that possibly refers to any skutterudite-like material, cobaltum eineraceum, was introduced by Georgius Agricola in 1529. Wallerius used several names for a skutterudite-like mineral (kobaltglants, kobaltmalm, minera cobalti cinerea, cobaltum arsenico mineralisatum). Named speiskobalt by Werner (see Hausmann, 1813), but also seemingly equally applied to safflorite and smaltite. Arsenikkobaltkies was used by Karl Johann August Theodor Scheerer for Norwegian skutterudite in 1837 and Arsenikkobalt was used in 1852 by Gustav Rose.
Type Locality:
Skutterudite Group. Nickelskutterudite-Skutterudite Series.
The cobalt analogue of Ferroskutterudite and Nickelskutterudite.
The cobalt analogue of Ferroskutterudite and Nickelskutterudite.
Unique Identifiers
Mindat ID:
3682
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:1:3682:1
IMA Classification of Skutterudite
Approved, 'Grandfathered' (first described prior to 1959)
Approval history:
Chemical formula revised by the IMA in January 2017.
Classification of Skutterudite
2.EC.05
2 : SULFIDES and SULFOSALTS (sulfides, selenides, tellurides; arsenides, antimonides, bismuthides; sulfarsenites, sulfantimonites, sulfbismuthites, etc.)
E : Metal Sulfides, M: S <= 1:2
C : M:S = 1:>2
2 : SULFIDES and SULFOSALTS (sulfides, selenides, tellurides; arsenides, antimonides, bismuthides; sulfarsenites, sulfantimonites, sulfbismuthites, etc.)
E : Metal Sulfides, M: S <= 1:2
C : M:S = 1:>2
2.12.17.1
2 : SULFIDES
12 : AmBnXp, with (m+n):p = 1:2
2 : SULFIDES
12 : AmBnXp, with (m+n):p = 1:2
3.10.12
3 : Sulphides, Selenides, Tellurides, Arsenides and Bismuthides (except the arsenides, antimonides and bismuthides of Cu, Ag and Au, which are included in Section 1)
10 : Sulphides etc. of Co
3 : Sulphides, Selenides, Tellurides, Arsenides and Bismuthides (except the arsenides, antimonides and bismuthides of Cu, Ag and Au, which are included in Section 1)
10 : Sulphides etc. of Co
Mineral Symbols
As of 2021 there are now IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols (abbreviations) for each mineral species, useful for tables and diagrams.
Please only use the official IMA–CNMNC symbol. Older variants are listed for historical use only.
Please only use the official IMA–CNMNC symbol. Older variants are listed for historical use only.
| Symbol | Source | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Skt | IMA–CNMNC | Warr, L.N. (2021). IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols. Mineralogical Magazine, 85(3), 291-320. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43 |
| Skt | The Canadian Mineralogist (2019) | The Canadian Mineralogist (2019) The Canadian Mineralogist list of symbols for rock- and ore-forming minerals (December 30, 2019). download |
Pronunciation of Skutterudite
Pronunciation:
| Play | Recorded by | Country |
|---|---|---|
| Jolyon Ralph | United Kingdom |
Physical Properties of Skutterudite
Metallic
Transparency:
Opaque
Colour:
Tin-white to silver-gray, gray (tarnished)
Streak:
Black
Hardness:
5½ - 6 on Mohs scale
Hardness:
VHN100=810 - 915 kg/mm2 - Vickers
Cleavage:
Distinct/Good
Distinct on {001}{111} in traces on {011}
Distinct on {001}{111} in traces on {011}
Fracture:
Irregular/Uneven, Conchoidal
Density:
6.5 g/cm3 (Measured) 6.821 g/cm3 (Calculated)
Chemistry of Skutterudite
Mindat Formula:
CoAs3
Also given as (Co,Fe,Ni)As2-3.
Also given as (Co,Fe,Ni)As2-3.
Elements listed:
Common Impurities:
S,Bi,Cu,Pb,Zn,Ag,Fe,Ni
Crystallography of Skutterudite
Crystal System:
Isometric
Class (H-M):
m3 (2/m 3) - Diploidal
Space Group:
Im3
Cell Parameters:
a = 8.204 Å
Unit Cell V:
552.18 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Z:
8
Morphology:
Cubic crystals
Twinning:
On {112} as sixlings, reported on {011}
Crystallographic forms of Skutterudite
Crystal Atlas:
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Skutterudite no.1 - Goldschmidt (1913-1926)
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Data courtesy of the American Mineralogist Crystal Structure Database. Click on an AMCSD ID to view structure
| ID | Species | Reference | Link | Year | Locality | Pressure (GPa) | Temp (K) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0009417 | Skutterudite | Mandel N, Donohue J (1971) The refinement of the crystal structure of skutterudite, CoAs3 Acta Crystallographica B27 2288-2289 |  | 1971 | Bou-Azzer, Morocco | 0 | 293 |
| 0018073 | Skutterudite | Oftedal I (1927) Die Kristallstruktur von Skutterdit und Speiskobalt-Chloanthit. _cod_database_code 1011203 Zeitschrift fur Kristallographie 66 517-546 | 1927 | 0 | 293 | ||
| 0017606 | Skutterudite | Kjekshus A, Rakke T (1974) Compounds with the skutterudite type crystal structure. III. Structural data for arsenides and antimonides, Acta Chemica Scandinavica A28 99-103 | 1974 | synthetic | 0 | 293 | |
| 0017723 | Skutterudite | Oftedal I (1926) The crystal structure of skutterudite and related minerals Norsk Geologisk Tidsskrift 8 250-257 | 1926 | Skutterud, Norway | 0 | 293 |
CIF Raw Data - click here to close
X-Ray Powder Diffraction
Loading XRD data...
Data courtesy of RRUFF project at University of Arizona, used with permission.
Powder Diffraction Data:
| d-spacing | Intensity |
|---|---|
| 2.592 Å | (100) |
| 2.193 Å | (35) |
| 1.835 Å | (35) |
| 1.609 Å | (30) |
| 1.675 Å | (20) |
| 0.9537 Å | (20) |
| 3.35 Å | (18) |
Comments:
Synthetic. Data are from Swanson et al. (1961).
Geological Environment
Paragenetic Mode(s):
| Paragenetic Mode | Earliest Age (Ga) |
|---|---|
| High-? alteration and/or metamorphism | |
| 33 : Minerals deposited by hydrothermal metal-rich fluids (see also [#12]) | |
| Stage 4b: Highly evolved igneous rocks | >3.0 |
| 36 : Carbonatites, kimberlites, and related igneous rocks | |
| Stage 5: Initiation of plate tectonics | <3.5-2.5 |
| 38 : Ophiolites |
Geological Setting:
Moderate to high temperature hydrothermal veins
Type Occurrence of Skutterudite
Synonyms of Skutterudite
Other Language Names for Skutterudite
Dutch:Skutterudiet
French:Skutterudite
German:Skutterudit
Arsenikkobaltkies
Fabrikenkobold
Hartkobalterz
Hartkobaltkies
Smaltin
Speiskobalt
Tesseral-Kies
Tesseralkies
Weißnickelkies (in part)
Arsenikkobaltkies
Fabrikenkobold
Hartkobalterz
Hartkobaltkies
Smaltin
Speiskobalt
Tesseral-Kies
Tesseralkies
Weißnickelkies (in part)
Italian:Skutterudite
Polish:Skutterudyt
Russian:Скуттерудит
Spanish:Skutterudita
Traditional Chinese:方砷鈷礦
Relationship of Skutterudite to other Species
Other Members of Skutterudite Subgroup:
| Ferroskutterudite | FeAs3 | Iso. m3m (4/m 3 2/m) : Im3m |
| Kieftite | CoSb3 | Iso. m3 (2/m 3) : Im3 |
| Nickelskutterudite | NiAs3 | Iso. m3 (2/m 3) : Im3 |
Forms a series with:
Common Associates
Associated Minerals Based on Photo Data:
| 134 photos of Skutterudite associated with Calcite | CaCO3 |
| 121 photos of Skutterudite associated with Quartz | SiO2 |
| 110 photos of Skutterudite associated with Safflorite | (Co,Ni,Fe)As2 |
| 104 photos of Skutterudite associated with Native Bismuth | Bi |
| 89 photos of Skutterudite associated with Erythrite | Co3(AsO4)2 · 8H2O |
| 72 photos of Skutterudite associated with Native Silver | Ag |
| 68 photos of Skutterudite associated with Rammelsbergite | NiAs2 |
| 53 photos of Skutterudite associated with Molybdenite | MoS2 |
| 51 photos of Skutterudite associated with Nickeline | NiAs |
| 47 photos of Skutterudite associated with Chlorite Group |
Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat Grouping
| 2.EC.05 | Nickelskutterudite | NiAs3 |
| 2.EC.05 | Kieftite | CoSb3 |
| 2.EC.05 | Ferroskutterudite | FeAs3 |
| 2.EC.10 | Patrónite | VS4 |
Other Information
Health Risks:
No information on health risks for this material has been entered into the database. You should always treat mineral specimens with care.
Skutterudite in petrology
An essential component of rock names highlighted in red, an accessory component in rock names highlighted in green.
Internet Links for Skutterudite
mindat.org URL:
https://www.mindat.org/min-3682.html
Please feel free to link to this page.
Please feel free to link to this page.
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References for Skutterudite
Reference List:
Breithaupt, Aug. (1827) Ueber eine neue Kies-Spezies von Skutterud. Annalen der Physik und Chemie, 85. 115-116 doi:10.1002/andp.18270850110as Tesseralkies and Hartkobaltkies
Scheerer, Th. (1837) Ueber zwei norwegische Kobalterze von den Skutteruder Gruben. Annalen der Physik und Chemie, 118. 546-555 doi:10.1002/andp.18371181205as Arsenik-kobaltkies
Wöhler, (1838) Ueber zwei neue Kobalt-Mineralien von Skutterud in Norwegen. Annalen der Physik und Chemie, 119. 591-592 doi:10.1002/andp.18381190317
Haidinger, Wilhelm (1845) Handbuch der bestimmenden Mineralogie, enthaltend die Terminologie, Systematik, Nomenklatur und Charakteristik der Naturgeschichte des Mineralreiches. Braumüller & Seidel, Vienna.pp.559-562 - as Skutterudit
Hausmann, J.F.L. (1847) Handbuch der Mineralogie. Zweiter Theil. System und Geschichte der Mineralkörper, 2nd edition. p. 69. [Hartkobalterz].p.69 - as Hartkobalterz
Samdahl, Bjarne (1925) Analyse des Skutterudits [Analysis of Skutterudites]. Norsk Geologisk Tidsskrift [Norwegian Journal of Geology], 8 (1-2) 68-73
Oftedal, Ivar (1926) The crystal structure of skutterudite and related minerals. A preliminary paper. Norsk Geologisk Tidsskrift [Norwegian Journal of Geology], 8 (4) 250-257
Roseboom, Eugene H. (1962) Skutterudites (Co, Ni, Fe)As3-x; composition and cell dimensions. American Mineralogist, 47 (3-4) 310-327
Nickel, E.H. (1970) The application of ligand-field concepts to an understanding of the structural stabilities and solid-solution limits of sulphides and related minerals. Chemical Geology, 5 (4) 233-241 doi:10.1016/0009-2541(70)90040-9
Kjekshus, Arne, Rakke, Trond, Rundqvist, Stig, Østvold, Terje, Bjørseth, Alf, Powell, D. L. (1974) Compounds with the Skutterudite Type Crystal Structure. III. Structural Data for Arsenides and Antimonides. Acta Chemica Scandinavica, 28. 99-103 doi:10.3891/acta.chem.scand.28a-0099
Hazen, Robert M., Hystad, Grethe, Golden, Joshua J., Hummer, Daniel R., Liu, Chao, Downs, Robert T., Morrison, Shaunna M., Ralph, Jolyon, Grew, Edward S. (2017) Cobalt mineral ecology. American Mineralogist, 102 (1) 108-116 doi:10.2138/am-2017-5798
Localities for Skutterudite
symbol to view information about a locality.
The Locality List
- This locality has map coordinates listed.
- This locality has estimated coordinates.
ⓘ - Click for references and further information on this occurrence.
? - Indicates mineral may be doubtful at this locality.
- Good crystals or important locality for species.
- World class for species or very significant.
(TL) - Type Locality for a valid mineral species.
(FRL) - First Recorded Locality for everything else (eg varieties).
All localities listed without proper references should be considered as questionable.
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Bou Azzer Mine, Ouisselsate Caïdat, Amerzgane Cercle, Ouarzazate Province, Drâa-Tafilalet Region, Morocco