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Formula: PbTe4+3O5(OH)Cl3(H2O)
Valence: Pb2+Te4+3O5(OH)Cl3(H2O)
Tellurite of lead
Crystal system: Triclinic
Specific gravity: 4.713 calculated for the empirical formula
Hardness: 3
Streak: White
Colour: Colourless
Solubility: Insoluble in water at room temperature, slowly dissolves in hydrochloric acid
Environments
Shenganfuite is a new mineral, approved in 2024 and to date (April 2026) reported only from the type locality.
Localities
The type locality, the Moctezuma Mine, Moctezuma, Moctezuma Municipality, Sonora, Mexico, is famous for a wealth of
secondary tellurium
oxysalt minerals. It is the type locality for 19 tellurium-bearing minerals,
including bambollaite,
burckhardtite,
chenzhangruite, cuzticite,
denningite, eztlite,
moctezumite, mroseite,
paratellurite, poughite,
schmitterite, shenganfuite,
sonoraite, spiroffite,
stankeithite,
sugarwhiteite, tomiolloite,
xocolatlite and zemannite.
Among these minerals, only bambollaite is a
telluride, the rest being oxysalts:
tellurites (Te4+) and
tellurates (Te6+).
The tellurium oxysalts of this deposit formed as the result of the
weathering of an epithermal quartz -
tellurium - gold vein system. The
main primary
tellurium mineral in the vein is
native tellurium, with a few
tellurides occurring as minor components.
Shenganfuite occurs on quartz in association with
tellurite. It is a late-stage low-temperature mineral, found as aggregates
of bladed crystals on a quartz matrix.
Shenganfuite is colourless in transmitted light, transparent with a white streak, and has a resinous lustre and
one perfect cleavage
(CJMP 64.2.173-183).
Shenganfuite from the Mocrezuma Mine -
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