Caracterização e tratamento térmico das fluorapatitas gemológicas de Sumé-Paraíba.

Abstract

Apatite crystals of the Sumé region, occur in the Cariri region, inserted in skarns of the Sumé Complex, of the Alto Moxotó Terrane, Borborema Province, which is correlated to the Brasiliano orogeny. Such minerals, has already been focus of exploitation research, being currently studied for gemological purposes. After the heat treatment, the apatite show blue neon color, which has great acceptance in the market and, consequently, economic value. The objective of this work is to characterize the crude green apatite and the treated blue apatite, through physical and / or chemical laboratory analyzes. The physical analyses presented refractive index and density compatible with the literature data that are 1,635 to 1,641 and 3,16, besides 3,23 g/cm³, respectively. For the heat treatment of natural green apatite, the temperature range of 700ºC resulted in the most intense artificial blue color. The results of the chemical analyses of fluorescence and microfluorescence showed that it corresponds to a fluorapatite, presenting considerable concentrations of Neodymium and Praseodymium and high thorium anomaly. UV-Visible analyses showed the rare earth bands neodymium and praseodymium. Infrared spectra revealed in loss of water and carbonate replacement in the treated samples. Color changing after heat treatment of the natural green apatites to the artificial blue ones is credited to the substitution of the ion (PO4)3 by the ion Mn5+. Treated blue apatites showed violet coloration when subjected to UV radiation, while natural green apatites do not alter their color.