Montroseite, a new vanadium oxide from the Colorado plateaus

Abstract

Montroseite, a new vanadium mineral named from Montrose County, Colorado, has been found in four mines in western Colorado and in two mines in eastern Utah. It is black, opaque, submetallic, and occurs in microscopic bladed crystals of the orthorhombic dipyramidal class. The axial ratio is a:b:c = 0.509:1:0.310, the common forms are b {010}, m {110}, p {121}, and a large vicinal form is approximately {0, 10, 1}. The observed specific gravity is 4.0 and the calculated specific gravity is 4.15. The composition is essentially VO(OH), with some iron commonly substituted for vanadium. Partial oxidation to VO 2 has taken place. Chemical analyses and X-ray diffraction data are given. Single crystal study indicated that the space group symmetry is Pbnm(D 2h 16 ).