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Aurichalcite Mineral Data

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General Aurichalcite Information

Help on Chemical Formula: Chemical Formula: (Zn,Cu)5(CO3)2(OH)6
Help on Composition: Composition: Molecular Weight = 546.71 gm
   Zinc      44.85 %  Zn   55.83 % ZnO
   Copper    14.53 %  Cu   18.19 % CuO
   Hydrogen   1.11 %  H     9.89 % H2O
   Carbon     4.39 %  C    16.10 % CO2
   Oxygen    35.12 %  O
            ______        ______ 
            100.00 %      100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE
Help on Empirical Formula: Empirical Formula: Zn3.75Cu1.25(CO3)2(OH)6
Help on Environment: Environment: Secondary mineral in copper and zinc deposits.
Help on IMA Status: IMA Status: Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1839
Help on Locality: Locality: Salida, Chaffee Co., Colorado, USA. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.
Help on Name Origin: Name Origin: Probably from the Greek oreichalchos, "mountain copper."
Help on Name Pronunciation: Name Pronunciation: Aurichalcite + Pronunciation Say AURICHALCITE
Help on Synonym: Synonym: ICSD 75323
  PDF 17-743
 

Aurichalcite Image

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  Aurichalcite

Comments: Sky-blue radiating acicular crystals of aurichalcite covering matrix.
Location: Lucin, Utah, USA. Scale: 6.5 x 3 x 2 cm with 5 mm crystals.
© Dan Weinrich

Aurichalcite Crystallography
Help on Axial Ratios: Axial Ratios: a:b:c =2.1529:1:0.8241
Help on Cell Dimensions: Cell Dimensions: a = 13.82, b = 6.419, c = 5.29, Z = 2; beta = 101.04° V = 460.59 Den(Calc)= 3.94
Help on Crystal System: Crystal System: Monoclinic - Prismatic H-M Symbol (2/m) Space Group: P 21/m
Help on X Ray Diffraction: X Ray Diffraction: By Intensity(I/Io): 6.78(1), 2.61(0.8), 3.68(0.7),
 

Physical Properties of Aurichalcite

Help on Cleavage: Cleavage: {010} Perfect
Help on Color: Color: Pale green, Sky blue, Greenish blue.
Help on Density: Density: 3.64 - 3.9, Average = 3.77
Help on Diaphaneity: Diaphaneity: Transparent
Help on Fracture: Fracture: Uneven - Flat surfaces (not cleavage) fractured in an uneven pattern.
Help on Habit: Habit: Acicular - Occurs as needle-like crystals.
Help on Habit: Habit: Druse - Crystal growth in a cavity which results in numerous crystal tipped surfaces.
Help on Habit: Habit: Encrustations - Forms crust-like aggregates on matrix.
Help on Hardness: Hardness: 2 - Gypsum
Help on Luminescence: Luminescence: Non-fluorescent.
Help on Luster: Luster: Pearly
Help on Streak: Streak: light blue
 

Optical Properties of Aurichalcite

Help on Gladstone-Dale: Gladstone-Dale: CI meas= -0.013 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= 0.031 (Excellent) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.181,KPDmeas= 0.1891,KC= 0.1867
Ncalc = 1.68 - 1.74
Help on Optical Data: Optical Data: Biaxial (-), a=1.655, b=1.74, g=1.744, bire=0.0890, 2V(Calc)=22, 2V(Meas)=1-4. Dispersion relatively strong.
Help on Pleochroism (x): Pleochroism (x): colorless.
Help on Pleochroism (y): Pleochroism (y): pale green.
Help on Pleochroism (z): Pleochroism (z): pale green.
 

Calculated Properties of Aurichalcite

Help on Electron Density: Electron Density: Bulk Density (Electron Density)=3.62 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Aurichalcite =3.77 gm/cc.
Help on Fermion Index: Fermion Index: Fermion Index = 0.01
Boson Index = 0.99
Help on Photoelectric: Photoelectric: PEAurichalcite = 28.76 barns/electron
U=PEAurichalcite x rElectron Density= 104.21 barns/cc.
Help on Radioactivity: Radioactivity: GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Aurichalcite is Not Radioactive
 

Aurichalcite Classification
Help on Dana Class: Dana Class: 16a.04.02.01 (16a)Carbonates - Hydroxyl or Halogen
  (16a.04)where (A B)5 (XO3)2 Zq
  (16a.04.02)Dana Group
 
16a.04.02.01 Aurichalcite (Zn,Cu)5(CO3)2(OH)6 P 21/m 2/m
Help on Strunz Class: Strunz Class: 05.BA.15 05 - CARBONATES (NITRATES)
  05.B - Carbonates with additional anions, without H2O
  05.BA -With Cu, Co, Ni, Zn, Mg, Mn
 
05.BA.15 Aurichalcite (Zn,Cu)5(CO3)2(OH)6 P 21/m 2/m
 
05.BA.15 Hydrozincite Zn5(CO3)2(OH)6 C 2/m 2/m
 

Other Aurichalcite Information
Help on References: References: NAME( Duda&Rejl90) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(Ford32)
Help on See Also: See Also: Links to other databases for Aurichalcite :
1 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
2 - Amethyst Galleries' Mineral Gallery
3 - Athena
4 - EUROmin Project
5 - Ecole des Mines de Paris
6 - Franklin Minerals(Dunn)
7 - Franklin Minerals(Palache)
8 - GeoScienceWorld
9 - Glendale Community College
10 - Google Images
11 - Google Scholar
12 - Handbook of Mineralogy (MinSocAm)
13 - Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA)
14 - MinDAT
15 - Mineral and Gemstone Kingdom
16 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
17 - Online Mineral Museum
18 - Philatelic Mineralogy
19 - QUT Mineral Atlas
20 - Ruff.Info
21 - WWW-MINCRYST
22 - YupRocks

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Aurichalcite

(Zn,Cu)5(CO3)2(OH)6
Dana No: 16a.04.02.01 Strunz No: 05.BA.15
Locality:

 

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