The use of zone theory in problems of sulphide mineralogy

Physics

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Scientific paper

The metallic or semi-metallic characteristics of many sulphide minerals, demonstrated by such properties as ductility, metallic lustre and low electrical resistivity are evidence of the metallic nature of their chemical bonds. This justifies a limited application of the electronic theories of the metallic state to problems involving these minerals. The important Brillouin zones of some of the minerals in the iron-copper-sulphur system have been determined. The volumes of these zones and the electron-to-atom ratios required to fill them, have been calculated. These minerals exhibit the properties of intrinsic semi-conductors and therefore it is assumed that free electron states exactly fill one of the zones, with an energy gap between the filled zone and the next higher zone. In the field from digenite to chalcopyrite the structural type is maintained, despite the increase in the iron to copper ratio, by the omission of sufficient metal atoms to avoid increasing the electron-to-atom ratio beyond the capacity of the filled zone. The existence of two structurally different types of sulphur in covellite and possibly in chalcocite is used to explain the apparent discrepancy between the zone capacity and the electron-to-atom ratio of these minerals.

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