arsenide

/ahr"seuh nuyd', -nid/, n. Chem.

a compound containing two elements of which arsenic is the negative one, as silver arsenide, Ag₃As.

[1860-65; ARSEN- + -IDE]

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▪ mineral

      any member of a rare mineral group consisting of compounds of one or more metals with arsenic (As). The coordination of the metal is almost always octahedral or tetrahedral. In the former case, each metal ion occupies a position within an octahedron composed of six oppositely charged arsenic ions, whereas in the latter each of the metal ions is surrounded by six oppositely charged neighbours arranged tetrahedrally. Structurally the arsenides resemble the sulfides (e.g., galena, sphalerite, and argentite) and are frequently included in that mineral group (see sulfide).

      Two common arsenides are niccolite (NiAs) and skutterudite (CoAs₃). Niccolite is a low-temperature hydrothermal mineral with hexagonal symmetry that is usually associated with nickel, cobalt, and silver sulfides. Skutterudite, on the other hand, is an intermediate- to high-temperature hydrothermal mineral with cubic or octahedral symmetry associated with arsenopyrite, native silver, and bismuth. Other arsenides include:

maucherite Ni₁₁As₈

rammelsbergite NiAs₂

safflorite (Co,Fe)As₂

löllingite FeAs₂

arsenopalladinite Pd₃As

dienerite Ni₃As

oregonite Ni₂FeAs₂

algodonite Cu₆As

sperrylite PtAs₂

See as table:

      All arsenides have a metallic lustre, are opaque, and have high specific gravity and intermediate to low hardness. The succession of arsenide minerals maucherite, niccolite, rammelsbergite, skutterudite, safflorite, and löllingite corresponds to the transition from a reducing to an oxidizing environment.

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