The application of micro-Raman spectroscopy to distinguish carlosturanite from serpentine-group minerals

Carlosturanite, a mineral with a serpentine-like structure, grows mainly with a fibrous habit. We have analyzed samples with both pure carlosturanite and associations of carlosturanite and chrysotile using micro-Raman spectroscopy, a quick and non-destructive method of identifying different materials and mineral phases through direct analysis of bundles of fibers. Raman analysis was carried out on samples after first submitting them to chemical and mineralogical analysis using traditional techniques, i.e., scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), with results evaluated in light of energy-dispersive spectrometry (EDS) and X-ray powder diffractometry (XRPD). This approach allowed us to determine the Raman spectrum associated with carlosturanite. Micro-Raman spectroscopy makes it possible to identify the different phases in these associations of minerals.