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Formula: Pd8Sb2.5As0.5
Alloy of palladium, antimony
and arsenic
Crystal System: Trigonal
Specific gravity: 11.2 calculated
Hardness: 6
Colour: Brassy ye+llow
Common impurities: Cu,Sn
Environments
Sedimentary environments
Hydrothermal environments
Mertieite occurs associated with gold,
sperrylite, laurite,
platarsite, ruthenarsenite,
genkinite,
platinum-iridium-osmium
alloys, a platinum-iron alloy,
stibiopalladinite,
chalcocite, bornite,
heazlewoodite, galena,
chalcopyrite, pentlandite,
valleriite, hauchecornite,
parkerite and chromite
(HOM).
Localities
At the Oktyabrsky Mine, Talnakh Cu-Ni Deposit, Noril'sk, Putoran Plateau, Taimyr Peninsula, Taymyrskiy Autonomous
Okrug, Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia, mertieite occurs above massive
cubanite–mooihoekite ore
(HOM).
At the Darya River sediments, Sakha Republic, Russia, coarse-grained mertieite crystals (up to 2.5 mm
across) have been found with inclusions of sperrylite and
intergrown with keithconnite,
cooperite-braggite, a
platinum-palladium-mercury
alloy, a (Pd,Pt)9Te phase and a
gold-silver alloy. The
primary
platinum group mineral assemblage underwent alteration with formation of
a very fine-grained mixture of palladium-bearing oxides and hydrated
oxides, occasionally intergrown with goethite. The
palladium-oxide-bearing compounds formed after (1) mertieite
(2) keithconnite and
(3) potarite. The variably oxidised and hydrated
platinum group mineral assemblage can be attributed to
supergene alteration and small-scale element redistribution
under cool climatic conditions with a limited degree of leaching
(MM 69.6.981–994).
At the type locality, Fox Gulch, Salmon River - Red Mountain District, Goodnews Bay, Bethel Census Area, Alaska,
USA, mertieite occurs as fine grains in precious metal placer concentrates, apparently derived from an
ultramafic source rock
(HOM).
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