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Sulfide

Antimonselite

Sb₂Se₃
Hardness3.3
Crystal systemOrthorhombic
ClassSulfide

Antimonselite

Antimony triselenide is the chemical compound with the formula Sb2Se3. The material exists as the sulfosalt mineral antimonselite (IMA symbol: Atm), which crystallizes in an orthorhombic space group. In this compound, antimony has a formal oxidation state +3 and selenium −2. The bonding in this compound has covalent character as evidenced by the black color and semiconducting properties of this and related materials. The low-frequency dielectric constant (ε0) has been measured to be 133 along the c axis of the crystal at room temperature, which is unusually large.

Intro adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).

Antimonselite is an IMA-recognized mineral species in the sulfide class, with the chemical formula Sb₂Se₃.

It crystallizes in the orthorhombic crystal system (space group Pbnm). It is a member of the Stibnite structural group.

Key properties: Mohs hardness 3.3; specific gravity 5.969; Black streak; Metallic luster; optically biaxial.

IMA symbol Atm, IMA status: approved, named in 1992.

Found in uraniferous calcite veins in a hydrothermal U–Hg–Mo polymetallic deposit (near Kaiyan, China).

It is found associated with Pyrite, sphalerite, galena, ferroselite, clausthalite, uraninite, cinnabar, hematite, calcite (near Kaiyan, China); gold, clausthalite, selenian famatinite.

The name refers to ANTIMONy and SELenium in the composition.

Index entry. This entry combines official IMA/RRUFF species data with published physical-property data and a Wikipedia introduction — a full written entry hasn’t been published yet. Browse more A minerals or help write this entry.