Bismutite Mineral Data

General Bismutite Information

Chemical Formula:

Bi2(CO3)O2

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 509.97 gm

Bismuth 81.96 % Bi 91.37 % Bi₂O₃

Carbon 2.36 % C 8.63 % CO₂

Oxygen 15.69 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Bi₂(CO₃)O₂

Environment:

Alteration product of bismuthinite and native bismuth.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1841

Locality:

Schneeberg District, Erzgebirge, Saxony, Germany Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named for the bismuth in the composition.

Name Pronunciation:

Bismutite + Pronunciation

Synonym:

Bismutosparite

Bismutite Image

Images:

Bismutite

Comments: White to green earthy crust of bismutite.
Location: La Higuera, Coquimbo, Chile. Scale: See Photo.
© Jeff Weissman / Photographic Guide to Mineral Species

Bismutite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =1.0007:1:3.5409

Cell Dimensions:

a = 3.865, b = 3.862, c = 13.675, Z = 2; V = 204.12 Den(Calc)= 8.30

Crystal System:

Orthorhombic - Pyramidal H-M Symbol (mm2) Space Group: Imm2

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 1.62(1), 2.14(1), 2.95(1),

Physical Properties of Bismutite

Cleavage:

{001} Distinct

Color:

Brown, Brownish yellow, Green, Gray, Yellow.

Density:

Diaphaneity:

Transparent to Translucent

Habit:

Earthy - Dull, clay-like texture with no visible crystalline affinities, (e.g. howlite).

Habit:

Fibrous - Crystals made up of fibers.

Hardness:

4 - Fluorite

Luminescence:

Non-fluorescent.

Luster:

Vitreous - Pearly

Streak:

gray

Optical Properties of Bismutite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= -0.07 (Fair) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= 0.098 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.1426,KPDmeas= 0.169,KC= 0.158
Ncalc = 2.11 - 2.31

Optical Data:

Biaxial (?), a=2.12-2.15, b=2.12-2.15, g=2.28, bire=0.1300-0.1600

Calculated Properties of Bismutite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=5.82 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Bismutite =7.00 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.0003351921
Boson Index = 0.9996648079

Photoelectric:

PE_Bismutite=1,586.42 barns/electron
U=PE_Bismutite x rElectron Density=9,232.90 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

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

Bismutite Classification

Dana Class:

16a.03.05.01 (16a)Carbonates - Hydroxyl or Halogen

(16a.03)where (A B)2 (XO3) Zq

(16a.03.05)Dana Group

16a.03.05.01 Bismutite Bi2(CO3)O2 Imm2 mm2

Strunz Class:

05.BE.25 05 - CARBONATES (NITRATES)

05.B - Carbonates with additional anions, without H2O

05.BE -With Pb, Bi

05.BE.25 Bismutite Bi2(CO3)O2 Imm2 mm2

Other Bismutite Information

References:

NAME( Ford32) PHYS. PROP.(AmMin, Vol 88, p 478) OPTIC PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990)

See Also:

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

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

Bismutite

Bi2(CO3)O2
Dana No: 16a.03.05.01 Strunz No: 05.BE.25
Locality:

Notes:

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