Alpersite Mineral Data

General Alpersite Information

Chemical Formula:

(Mg,Cu)SO4•7H2O

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 262.74 gm

Magnesium 5.37 % Mg 8.90 % MgO

Manganese 0.42 % Mn 0.54 % MnO

Zinc 0.50 % Zn 0.62 % ZnO

Iron 0.21 % Fe 0.27 % FeO

Copper 8.95 % Cu 11.20 % CuO

Hydrogen 5.37 % H 48.00 % H₂O

Sulfur 12.20 % S 30.47 % SO₃

Oxygen 66.98 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Mg_0.58Cu_0.37Zn_0.02Mn²⁺_0.02Fe²⁺_0.01(SO₄)•7(H₂O)

Environment:

Formed from acid mine waste waters with mineralogically zoned assemblages in sheltered areas at a relative humidity of 65% and T = 4 °C. Dehydrates to cuprian pentahydrate. Mg-domin ant analog of melanterite.

IMA Status:

Approved IMA 2003 (Dana # Added)

Locality:

Big Mike mine located on the south side of Panther Canyon, on the west flank of the north end of the Tobin Range, Pershing County, Nevada, USA. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named after Charles N. Alpers, geochemist with the United States Geological Survey, who has made significant contributions to our understanding of the mineralogical controls of mine -water geochemistry.

Synonym:

IMA2003-040

Alpersite Image

Images:

Alpersite

Comments: Bright blue efforescence associated with pickeringite, alunogen, and epsomite. Pickeringite and alunogen (white and yellow) occur on top of a matte of alpersite (blue) adjacent to a concrete wall.
Location: Big Mike mine, Nevada. Scale: Picture size 50 cm.
© American Mineralogist

Alpersite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =2.168:1:1.6587

Cell Dimensions:

a = 14.166, b = 6.534, c = 10.838, Z = 4; beta = 105.922° V = 964.69 Den(Calc)= 1.81

Crystal System:

Monoclinic - Prismatic H-M Symbol (2/m) Space Group: P 2₁/c

$Help on X Ray Diffraction:$ X Ray Diffraction:

By Intensity(I/I_o): 4.85(1), 3.779(0.38), 4.44(0.16),3.254(0.15), 3.663(0.15), 2.721(0.14), 3.078(0.14), 4.79(0.14),

Physical Properties of Alpersite

Cleavage:

{001} Good

Color:

Blue.

Diaphaneity:

Transparent

Fracture:

Brittle - Uneven - Very brittle fracture producing uneven fragments.

Habit:

Efflorescences - Crystals covering matrix, generally produced from transpiro-evaporation.

Hardness:

2.5 - Finger Nail

Luster:

Vitreous (Glassy)

Streak:

white

Optical Properties of Alpersite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI calc= -0.002 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.2571,KC= 0.2565
Ncalc = 1.46

Optical Data:

Biaxial (+), a=1.462, b=1.465, g=1.469, bire=0.0070, 2V(Calc)=82, 2V(Meas)=79.8. Dispersion r > v weak.

Calculated Properties of Alpersite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=1.89 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Alpersite =1.81 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.0068592789
Boson Index = 0.9931407211

Photoelectric:

PE_Alpersite= 5.00 barns/electron
U=PE_Alpersite x rElectron Density= 9.44 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Alpersite is Not Radioactive

Alpersite Classification

Dana Class:

29.06.10.06 (29)Hydrated Acid and Sulfates

(29.06)where A XO4 ï¿½ x(H2O)

(29.06.10)Melanterite Group (Heptahydrates, Monoclinic: P21/c)

29.06.10.01 Melanterite FeSO4•7(H2O) P 2₁/c 2/m

29.06.10.02 Boothite CuSO4•7(H2O) P 2₁/c 2/m

29.06.10.03 Zincmelanterite (Zn,Cu,Fe)SO4•7(H2O) P 2₁/c 2/m

29.06.10.04 Bieberite CoSO4•7(H2O) P 2₁/c 2/m

29.06.10.05 Mallardite MnSO4•7(H2O) P 2₁/c 2/m

29.06.10.06 Alpersite! (Mg,Cu)SO4•7H2O P 2₁/c 2/m

Strunz Class:

07.CB.35 07 - SULFATES (SELENATES, TELLURATES)

07.C - Sulfates (selenates, etc.) without Additional Anions, with H2O

07.CB -With only medium-sized cations

07.CB.35 Bieberite CoSO4•7(H2O) P 2₁/c 2/m

07.CB.35 Boothite CuSO4•7(H2O) P 2₁/c 2/m

07.CB.35 Mallardite MnSO4•7(H2O) P 2₁/c 2/m

07.CB.35 Melanterite FeSO4•7(H2O) P 2₁/c 2/m

07.CB.35 Zincmelanterite (Zn,Cu,Fe)SO4•7(H2O) P 2₁/c 2/m

07.CB.35 Alpersite! (Mg,Cu)SO4•7H2O P 2₁/c 2/m

Other Alpersite Information

References:

NAME( AmMin, v91, p261) PHYS. PROP.(AmMin, v91, p261) OPTIC PROP.(AmMin, v91, p261)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Alpersite :
1 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
2 - Athena
3 - GeoScienceWorld
4 - Google Images
5 - Google Scholar
6 - MinDAT
7 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
8 - Online Mineral Museum
9 - QUT Mineral Atlas
10 - Ruff.Info

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Print or Cut-and-Paste your Alpersite Specimen Label here :

Alpersite

(Mg,Cu)SO4•7H2O
Dana No: 29.06.10.06 Strunz No: 07.CB.35
Locality:

Notes:

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