Sperrylite

Sperrylite is a rare platinum arsenide mineral with the formula PtAs₂. It occurs chiefly in nickel–copper ore deposits and is an important platinum ore.

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Platinum-group minerals: Minerals containing one or more platinum-group elements as essential constituents. Sperrylite is one of the most important platinum-bearing members of this mineral family.
Platinum mining: The extraction of platinum and platinum-group metals from geological deposits. Sperrylite can be a valuable platinum ore in deposits where it is sufficiently abundant.
Pyrite structure: A cubic crystal arrangement found in pyrite and related minerals, with paired nonmetal atoms and metal sites. Sperrylite’s PtAs₂ structure is a classic example of this arrangement.
Francis Louis Sperry: A Canadian chemist and mineralogist associated with the discovery of sperrylite in Ontario. The mineral was named in recognition of Sperry’s role in its discovery.
Arsenide minerals: Minerals in which arsenic bonds with metals or semimetals as a major constituent. Sperrylite belongs to this chemical class because arsenic bonds with platinum in its formula.
Platinum-group elements: Six transition metals with similar properties: platinum, palladium, rhodium, ruthenium, iridium, and osmium. Sperrylite is a natural host for platinum, one of these economically significant elements.
Magmatic sulfide deposits: Ore deposits formed when sulfide liquids separate from cooling magma and concentrate metals. Sperrylite commonly occurs in the nickel-copper ore environments associated with these deposits.
Thomas Leonard Walker: A Canadian mineralogist who described sperrylite as a new mineral in the late nineteenth century. Walker’s description established sperrylite as a distinct mineral species.
Pyrite group: A mineral group whose members share related cubic structures and compositions. Sperrylite has the pyrite-type structure despite containing platinum and arsenic.
Ore mineral: A naturally occurring mineral that can be mined profitably for valuable elements or compounds. Sperrylite’s platinum content makes it an ore mineral in some mining contexts.