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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
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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