Abhurite, a new tin hydroxychloride mineral, and a comparative study with a synthetic basic tin chloride.

Abhurite is a new mineral species found in blister-like protuberances on the surface of tin ingots submerged at a depth of 35 m in the Red Sea. It forms 1.5 mm diameter hexagonal plates bounded by the negative rhombohedron (0115); is colourless, transparent with opalescent lustre, white streak, hackly fracture, with no cleavage, and H.approx 2; D(calc) 4.34, D(meas) 4.29 g/cm3; epsilon approx 2.11, omega 2.06. Chemical analysis gave 73.4 wt.% Sn, 15.7 Cl, 11.0 0 and 0.4 H. leading to the formula Sn3O(OH)2Cl2. DTA shows release of H2O at 235oC and SnCl2 at 525oC. Indexed XRD powder data are tabulated; prominent lines 2.5313(100), 2.8915(70), 4.139(50), 3.404(50), 2.8175(50) A; a 10.0175(3), c 44.014(2) A; space group R3m, R3m or R32; Z = 21. Comparison is made with a hexagonal synthetic dimorph. The name refers to the geographical origin, an arm of the Red Sea known as Sharm Abhur.-L.T.T.