Electron paramagnetic resonance, optical absorption and Raman spectral studies on a pyrite/chalcopyrite mineral

Pyrite and chalcopyrite mineral samples from Mangampet barite mine, Kadapa, Andhra Pradesh, India are used in the present study. XRD data indicate that the pyrite mineral has a face centered cubic lattice structure with lattice constant 5.4179 Å. Also it possesses an average particle size of 91.9 nm. An EPR study on the powdered samples confirms the presence of iron in pyrite and iron and Mn(II) in chalcopyrite. The optical absorption spectrum of chalcopyrite indicates presence of copper which is in a distorted octahedral environment. NIR results confirm the presence of water fundamentals and Raman spectrum reveals the presence of water and sulfate ions.

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► Pyrite has cubic crystal structure with cell constant 5.45 Å.
► EPR studies on chalcopyrite suggest high percentage of Cu.
► Optical absorption spectrum of chalcopyrite is due to Fe(II) and Cu(II) which are in distorted octahedral symmetry.
► Raman studies on chalcopyrite indicate that it has sulfate and water fundamentals.