View source for Kesterite

{{Infobox mineral
| name        = Kësterite
| category    = [[Sulfide mineral]]
| boxwidth    =
| image       = Kësterite-UK.jpg
| imagesize   = 260px
| caption     = 
| formula     = {{chem|Cu2(Zn,Fe)SnS4}}
| IMAsymbol   = Kës<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Warr|first=L.N.|date=2021|title=IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols|journal=Mineralogical Magazine|volume=85|issue=3|pages=291–320|doi=10.1180/mgm.2021.43|bibcode=2021MinM...85..291W|s2cid=235729616|doi-access=free}}</ref>
| molweight   =
| strunz      = 2.CB.15a
| system      = [[Tetragonal]] 
| class       = Disphenoidal ({{overline|4}}) <br/>[[H-M symbol]]: ({{overline|4}})
| symmetry    = ''I''{{overline|4}}
| unit cell   = a = 5.427, c = 10.871&nbsp;[Å]; Z&nbsp;=&nbsp;2
| color       = Greenish black
| habit       = Massive, pseudocubic
| twinning    =
| cleavage    = None
| fracture    =
| tenacity    =
| mohs        = 4.5
| luster      = Metallic
| refractive  =
| opticalprop =
| pleochroism =
| streak      = Black
| gravity     = 4.54–4.59 (meas.); 4.524 (calc.)
| density     =
| melt        =
| fusibility  =
| diagnostic  =
| solubility  =
| diaphaneity = Opaque
| other       =
| references  = <ref name=webmin>[http://webmineral.com/data/Kesterite.shtml Kesterite]. Webmineral</ref><ref name=mindat>[http://www.mindat.org/min-2189.html Kesterite]. Mindat.org</ref><ref name=hand>[http://rruff.geo.arizona.edu/doclib/hom/kesterite.pdf Kesterite]. Handbook of Mineralogy</ref>

}}
'''Kësterite''' is a [[sulfide mineral]] with a chemical formula of {{chem2|Cu2(Zn,Fe)SnS4}}. In its lattice structure, [[zinc]] and [[iron]] atoms share the same lattice sites. Kesterite is the Zn-rich variety whereas the Zn-poor form is called [[ferrokesterite]] or [[stannite]]. Owing to their similarity, kesterite is sometimes called '''isostannite'''.<ref name="Pracejus2008"/> The synthetic form of kesterite is abbreviated as [[CZTS]] (from copper zinc tin sulfide). The name kesterite is sometimes extended to include this synthetic material and also [[CZTSe]], which contains [[selenium]] instead of sulfur.<ref name="RauAbou-Ras2011">{{cite book|author1=Uwe Rau|author2=Daniel Abou-Ras|author3=Thomas Kirchartz|title=Advanced Characterization Techniques for Thin Film Solar Cells|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AyZ3lF_AHQAC&pg=PA351|year=2011|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|isbn=978-3-527-63629-7|page=351}}</ref><ref>Ingrid Repins, Nirav Vora, Carolyn Beall,
Su-Huai Wei, Yanfa Yan, Manuel Romero, Glenn Teeter, Hui Du, Bobby To, Matt Young, and Rommel Noufi. "[http://www.osti.gov/bridge/purl.cover.jsp?purl=/1015886-iiGwEN/ Kesterites and Chalcopyrites: A Comparison of Close Cousins"] Presented at the 2011 Materials Research Society Spring Meeting
San Francisco, California, April 25–29, 2011 [[NREL]] Preprint</ref>

==Occurrence==
Kesterite was first described in 1958 in regard to an occurrence in the Kester deposit (and the associated locality) in [[Ynnakh Mountain]], [[Yana River|Yana basin]], [[Sakha Republic|Yakutia]], Russia, where it was discovered.<ref name=webmin/><ref name=mindat/><ref name=hand/>

It is usually found in quartz-sulfide [[Vein (geology)|hydrothermal veins]] associated with tin ore deposits.<ref name=webmin/> Associated minerals include [[arsenopyrite]], [[stannoidite]], [[chalcopyrite]], [[chalcocite]], [[sphalerite]] and [[tennantite]].<ref name=hand/>

Stannite and kesterite occur together in the [[Ivigtut]] [[cryolite]] deposit of South [[Greenland]]. [[Solid solution|Solid solutions]] form between Cu<sub>2</sub>FeSnS<sub>4</sub> and Cu<sub>2</sub>ZnSnS<sub>4</sub> at temperatures above 680&nbsp;°C. This accounts for the exsolved kesterite in stannite found in the cryolite.<ref>S Karup-Møller, ''Galena and Associated Ore Minerals from the Cryolite at Ivigtut, South Greenland,'' Commission for Scientific Research in Greenland, 1979, pp. 8-9 {{ISBN|978-87-17-02582-0}}</ref>

[[File:Kristallstruktur Kesterit.png|thumb|left|Kesterite structure. Orange: Cu, blue: Sn, grey: Zn/Fe, yellow: S]]

==Use==
Kesterite like substances are being researched as a solar photovoltaic material.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=C&EN|first1=Mark Peplow, special to|title=Kesterite solar cells get ready to shine |website=Chemical & Engineering News |date=12 February 2018|volume=96|issue=7|pages=15–18|url=https://cen.acs.org/articles/96/i7/Kesterite-solar-cells-ready-shine.html}}</ref>

==References==
{{Commons category|Kësterite}}
{{reflist|refs=
<ref name="Pracejus2008">{{cite book|author=Bernhard Pracejus|title=The ore minerals under the microscope: an optical guide|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qOgvXBjecmQC&pg=PA214|year=2008|publisher=Elsevier|isbn=978-0-444-52863-6|pages=214–215}}</ref>
}}

[[Category:Copper minerals]]
[[Category:Iron(II) minerals]]
[[Category:Tin minerals]]
[[Category:Sulfide minerals]]
[[Category:Tetragonal minerals]]
[[Category:Minerals in space group 82]]