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Maghemite

Maghemite (Fe₂O₃, γ-Fe₂O₃) is a member of the family of iron oxides. It has the same structure as magnetite, that is, it is spinel ferrite and is also ferrimagnetic. Maghemite can be considered as an Fe(II)-deficient magnetite with formula $(\mathrm{Fe}^\mathrm{III}_8)_A[\mathrm{Fe}^{\mathrm{III}}_{40/3}\square_{8/3}]_B\mathrm{O}_{32}$ where $\square$ represents a vacancy, $A$ indicates tetrahedral positioning and $B$ octahedral.

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Maghemite was named in 1927. It is blue with a grey shade, white, or brown.^[1] It has isometric crystals.^[2] Maghemite is formed by the topotactic oxidation of magnetite.

References

^ Richard V. Gaines, H. Catherine W. Skinner, Eugene E. Foord, Brian Mason, and Abraham Rosenzweig: "Dana's new mineralogy", pp. 229-230. John Wiley & Sons, 1997
^ Maghemite on Mindat

Categories: Iron minerals | Oxide minerals | Ilmenite group