Abstract This study revises the early-magmatic, late-magmatic, and hydrothermal mineral assemblages occurring in rocks of agpaitic affinity, mainly represented by nepheline syenites and phonolites, from the Poços de Caldas alkaline massif. Mostly composed of different types of silicates, these rocks include rare minerals of of distinct groups, such as sulfides, oxides, carbonates, phosphates, sulfates, niobates, and notably halides, with villiaumite (NaF) as an important phase indicative of extreme alkali enrichment. Hydrothermal alteration products of nepheline and alkali feldspar typically consist of feldspathoids and zeolites. The rare minerals are of varied origin, from magmatic crystallization to hydrothermal and weathering processes. In general, they tend to occur interstitially or form euhedral crystals, especially when filling cavities or growing out from their walls. Petrological conditions involving the formation of the agpaitic rocks and their mineral assemblages are discussed. earlymagmatic, earlymagmatic early magmatic, early-magmatic latemagmatic, latemagmatic late late-magmatic affinity phonolites massif silicates groups sulfides oxides carbonates phosphates sulfates niobates halides NaF (NaF enrichment zeolites origin processes general crystals walls discussed

Abstract The Parauapebas meteorite, third official meteorite discovered in the Brazilian Amazon region, is a “hammer meteorite” which fell on December 9th, 2013, in the city of Parauapebas, Pará State, Brazil. Mineralogy is dominated by forsterite, enstatite, iron, troilite, and tetrataenite. Albite, chromite, diopside, augite, pigeonite, taenite, and merrillite are minor components. Two main clasts are separated by black shock-induced melt veins. One clast exhibits an abundance of chondrules with well-defined margins set on a recrystallized matrix composed mostly of forsterite and enstatite, consistent with petrologic type 4 chondrites. The other clast displays chondrules with outlines blurring into the groundmass as evidence of increasing recrystallization, consistent with petrologic type 5 chondrites. The clasts of petrologic type 4 have a fine-grained texture compared to those of type 5. It is a genomict breccia (indicated by shock melt veins) with the clasts and matrix of the same compositional group, but different petrologic types, H4 and H5. The melted outer crust of the Parauapebas meteorite is comprised of forsterite with interstitial dendritic iron oxide, and is rich in irregular vesicles, which are evidence of the rapid formation of the crust. The type specimen is deposited in the Museum of Geosciences of the University of São Paulo, Brazil.

Abstract The occurrence of five rare minerals in the Eastern Brazilian Pegmatite Province, northeastern Minas Gerais, is described and discussed: bergslagite [CaBe(AsO4)(OH)] from the Manoel Fonseca mine, Coronel Murta county; herderite [CaBe(PO4)F] from the Funil mine, Medina county; lithiophosphate [Li3PO4] from the Cachoeira mine, Araçuaí/Itinga counties; lithiotantite [Li(Ta,Nb)3O8] from the Murundu mine, Itinga county; and kosnarite [KZr2(PO4)3] from Mario Pinto mine, Itinga county. The host pegmatites of these minerals, with their respective main chemical and/or mineralogical features are also presented. As a consequence of such discoveries, Raman spectra for lithiotantite and lithiophosphate were made available, and crystal structure refinement for lithiotantite was performed.

Os minerais foram vistos apenas como fontes de produtos químicos: minério de ferro, minério de cobre, etc. No entanto, não são apenas associações de elementos químicos, uma vez que apresentam estruturas cristalinas. Essas duas características em conjunto proporcionam propriedades que podem ser tecnologicamente úteis. Mesmo que um mineral ocorra em quantidade muito pequena, o que não permite a sua extração, pode servir como um modelo para a obtenção do análogo sintético em uma escala industrial. É necessário que uma proposta de novo mineral seja submetida à aprovação pela Comissão de Novos Minerais, Nomenclatura e Classificação (CNMNC) da Associação Mineralógica Internacional (IMA) antes da publicação. Somente 65 espécies minerais válidas foram descritas pela primeira vez no Brasil, isto é, minerais-tipo do Brasil. Dezenove delas foram publicadas entre 1789 e 1959 (0,11 por ano). De 1959, quando a CNMMN (hoje CNMNC) - IMA foi criada, até 2000, 18 espécies minerais brasileiras aprovadas permanecem válidas (0,43 por ano). No entanto, o número de minerais-tipo do Brasil aprovados nos últimos 15 anos (2000 - 2014) foi substancialmente maior: 28 (1,87 por ano). Esse número é muito pequeno considerando a grande variedade de ambientes geológicos brasileiros. As duas primeiras espécies-tipo do Brasil, descobertas no século 18, crisoberilo e euclásio, são importantes minerais gemológicos. Dois outros minerais-gema, membros do supergrupo da turmalina, foram publicados apenas no século 21: uvita e fluor-elbaíta. Alguns minerais-tipo do Brasil são muito importantes tecnologicamente falando. Alguns exemplos são menezesita, coutinhoíta, lindbergita, pauloabibita e waimirita-(Y).

Minerals were seen merely as sources of chemicals: iron ore, copper ore, etc. However, minerals are not just chemicals associations, since they display crystal structures. These two features together provide properties that can be technologically useful. Even though a mineral occurs in very small amount, which does not allow its extraction, it can serve as a model for obtaining the synthetic analogue on an industrial scale. It is necessary that a new-mineral proposal be submitted for approval by the Commission on New Minerals, Nomenclature and Classification (CNMNC) of the International Mineralogical Association (IMA) before publication. Only 65 valid mineral species were first described from Brazil, that is, the type minerals from Brazil. Nineteen of these were published between 1789 and 1959 (0.11 per year). From 1959, when the CNMMN (today CNMNC) - IMA was established, to 2000, 18 approved Brazilian mineral species remain valid (0.43 per year). However, the number of type minerals from Brazil approved in the last 15 years (2000 to 2014) was substantially increased: 28 (1.87 per year). This number is very small considering the wide range of Brazilian geological environments. The two first type species from Brazil, discovered in the 18th century, chrysoberyl and euclase, are important gemological minerals. Two other gem minerals, tourmaline-supergroup members, were published only in the 21st century: uvite and fluor-elbaite. Some type minerals from Brazil are very important technologically speaking. Some examples are menezesite, coutinhoite, lindbergite, pauloabibite, and waimirite-(Y).

The objective of this study is to investigate the efficiency of calcium carbonate bioprecipitation by Lysinibacillus sphaericus, Bacillus subtilis and Pseudomonas putida, obtained from the Coleção de Culturas do Instituto Nacional de Controle de Qualidade em Saúde (INCQS), as a first step in determining their potential to protect building materials against water uptake. Two culture media were studied: modified B4 containing calcium acetate and 295 with calcium chloride. Calcium consumption in the two media after incubation with and without the bacterial inoculum was determined by atomic absorption analysis. Modified B4 gave the best results and in this medium Pseudomonas putida INQCS 113 produced the highest calcium carbonate precipitation, followed by Lysinibacillus sphaericus INQCS 414; the lowest precipitation was produced by Bacillus subtilis INQCS 328. In this culture medium XRD analysis showed that Pseudomonas putida and Bacillus subtilis precipitated calcite and vaterite polymorphs while Lysinibacillus sphaericus produced only vaterite. The shape and size of the crystals were affected by culture medium, bacterial strain and culture conditions, static or shaken. In conclusion, of the three strains Pseudomonas putida INQCS 113 in modified B4 medium gave the best results precipitating 96% of the calcium, this strain thus has good potential for use on building materials.