Chalcopyrite is closely related to that of zinc blende ZnS (sphalerite). The unit cell is twice as large, reflecting an alternation of Cu and Fe ions replacing Zn ions in adjacent cells. In contrast to the pyrite structure chalcopyrite has single S sulfide anions rather than disulfide pairs. Another difference is that the iron cation is not diamagnetic low spin Fe(II) as in pyrite. Copper metal can be extracted from the roasting of chalcopyrite, as shown in the following reaction: Although if roasted partially it produces and . Chalcopyrite Chalcopyrite ( ) is a copper iron sulfide mineral that crystallizes in
Pentlandite Thompson Belt, Canada, and a few examples from Brazil. Pentlandite, but primarily chalcopyrite and PGEs, are also obtained from the supergiant Norilsk nickel deposit, in trans-Siberian Russia. The Sudbury Basin in Ontario, Canada, is associated with a large meteorite impact crater. The pentlandite-chalcopyrite-pyrrhotite ore around the Sudbury Structure formed from sulfide melts that segregated from the melt sheet produced by the impact. Pentlandite is a catalyst for production of hydrogen and oxygen from water using electricity. It is said to be as effective at this as platinum, which is significantly rarer and more expensive. Pentlandite Pentlandite is an iron-nickel sulfide,