Breithauptite Mineral Data

General Breithauptite Information

Chemical Formula:

NiSb

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 180.44 gm

Nickel 32.53 % Ni

Antimony 67.47 % Sb

______

100.00 %

Empirical Formula:

NiSb

Environment:

In hydrothermal calcite veins associated with Co-Ni-Ag ores.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1845

Locality:

From the Cobalt district, near Red Lake; in the Silver Islet mine and the Hemlo gold deposit, Thunder Bay district, Ontario, Canada. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

After the Saxon mineralogist Johann Friedrich August Breithaupt (1791-1873).

Name Pronunciation:

Breithauptite + Pronunciation

Synonym:

ICSD 293304

PDF 41-1439

Breithauptite Image

Images:

Breithauptite

Comments: Three brownish, metallic hexagonal prisms of breithauptite in calcite.
Location: Sarrabus, Sardinia, Italy. Scale: Size Not Given.
© Lou Perloff / Photo Atlas of Minerals

Breithauptite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:c = 1:1.30534

Cell Dimensions:

a = 3.93, c = 5.13, Z = 2; V = 68.62 Den(Calc)= 8.73

Crystal System:

Hexagonal - Dihexagonal Dipyramidal H-M Symbol (6/m 2/m 2/m) Space Group: P 6₃/mmc

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 2.86(1), 1.97(0.4), 2.05(0.4),

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Forms: ( 1 0 1) ( 1 0 3) ( 0 1 0) ( 0 0 1)

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Physical Properties of Breithauptite

Cleavage:

None

Color:

Copper red, Light brown red.

Density:

8.23

Diaphaneity:

Opaque

Fracture:

Uneven - Flat surfaces (not cleavage) fractured in an uneven pattern.

Habit:

Massive - Uniformly indistinguishable crystals forming large masses.

Habit:

Reniform - "Kidney like" in shape (e.g.. hematite).

Habit:

Tabular - Form dimensions are thin in one direction.

Hardness:

3.5-4 - Copper Penny-Fluorite

Luminescence:

Non-fluorescent.

Luster:

Metallic

Magnetism:

Nonmagnetic

Streak:

reddish brown

Optical Properties of Breithauptite

RL Anisotrophism:

Very noticeable in air and oil.

RL Color:

Light copper red with violet tint.

RL Pleochroism:

Very distinct.

Reflectivity

**Standardized Intensity (100%) Reflection Spectra of Breithauptite in Air**
λ	R₁	R₂	∑ R₁(λ)	∑ R₂(λ)
400 nm	47.80	51.40
420 nm	45.50	49.30
440 nm	43.20	47.20
460 nm	41.10	45.80
480 nm	39.50	45.20
500 nm	38.50	45.60
520 nm	38.70	46.80
540 nm	41.00	48.60
560 nm	43.60	51.10
580 nm	46.60	53.40
600 nm	49.30	55.60
620 nm	51.60	57.60
640 nm	53.60	59.30
660 nm	55.30	60.90
680 nm	56.80	62.20
700 nm	58.00	63.30

**Calculated Relative Intensity Colors of Breithauptite in Air**
Relative Intensity	0%	30%	60%	90%	100%	120%	150%	180%	210%
R₁
R₂

Calculated Properties of Breithauptite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=7.64 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Breithauptite =8.73 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.0036754434
Boson Index = 0.9963245566

Photoelectric:

PE_{Breithauptite}= 240.90 barns/electron
U=PE_{Breithauptite} x rElectron Density=1,841.50 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

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

Breithauptite Classification

Dana Class:

02.08.11.02 (02)Sulfides - Including Selenides and Tellurides

(02.08)where Am Bn Xp, with (m+n):p=1:1

(02.08.11)Nickeline Group (Hexagonal: P63/mmc)

02.08.11.01 Nickeline NiAs P 6₃/mmc 6/m 2/m 2/m

02.08.11.02 Breithauptite NiSb P 6₃/mmc 6/m 2/m 2/m

02.08.11.03 Sederholmite NiSe P 6₃/mmc 6/m 2/m 2/m

02.08.11.04 Hexatestibiopanickelite (Ni,Pd)(Te,Sb) P 6₃/mmc 6/m 2/m 2/m

02.08.11.05 Sudburyite (Pd,Ni)Sb P 6₃/mmc 6/m 2/m 2/m

02.08.11.06 Kotulskite Pd(Te,Bi) P 6₃/mmc 6/m 2/m 2/m

02.08.11.07 Sobolevskite PdBi P 6₃/mmc 6/m 2/m 2/m

02.08.11.08 Stumpflite Pt(Sb,Bi) P 6₃/mmc 6/m 2/m 2/m

02.08.11.09 Langisite (Co,Ni)As P 6₃/mmc 6/m 2/m 2/m

02.08.11.10 Freboldite CoSe P 6₃/mmc 6/m 2/m 2/m

02.08.11.11 Achavalite! FeSe P 6₃/mmc 6/m 2/m 2/m

02.08.11.12 Sorosite! Cu(Sn,Sb) P 6₃/mmc 6/m 2/m 2/m

02.08.11.13 Vavrinite! Ni2SbTe2 P 6₃/mmc 6/m 2/m 2/m

Strunz Class:

02.CC.05 02 - SULFIDES and SULFOSALTS (sulfides, selenides, tellurides; arsenides, antimonides, bismuthides; sulfarsenites, sulf

02.C - Metal Sulfides, M:S = 1:1 (and similar)

02.CC -With Ni, Fe, Co, PGE, etc.

02.CC.05 Achavalite FeSe P 6₃/mmc 6/m 2/m 2/m

02.CC.05 Breithauptite NiSb P 6₃/mmc 6/m 2/m 2/m

02.CC.05 Freboldite CoSe P 6₃/mmc 6/m 2/m 2/m

02.CC.05 Hexatestibiopanickelite (Ni,Pd)(Te,Sb) P 6₃/mmc 6/m 2/m 2/m

02.CC.05 Langisite (Co,Ni)As P 6₃/mmc 6/m 2/m 2/m

02.CC.05 Jaipurite* CoS P 6₃/mmc 6/m 2/m 2/m

02.CC.05 Kotulskite Pd(Te,Bi) P 6₃/mmc 6/m 2/m 2/m

02.CC.05 Nickeline NiAs P 6₃/mmc 6/m 2/m 2/m

02.CC.05 Zlatogorite! CuNiSb2 P 3m1 3 2/m

02.CC.05 Sederholmite NiSe P 6₃/mmc 6/m 2/m 2/m

02.CC.05 Stumpflite Pt(Sb,Bi) P 6₃/mmc 6/m 2/m 2/m

02.CC.05 Sudburyite (Pd,Ni)Sb P 6₃/mmc 6/m 2/m 2/m

02.CC.05 Sobolevskite PdBi P 6₃/mmc 6/m 2/m 2/m

Other Breithauptite Information

References:

NAME( AntBidBlaNic1) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(AntBidBlaNic1)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Breithauptite :
1 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
2 - Athena
3 - EUROmin Project
4 - Ecole des Mines de Paris
5 - Franklin Minerals(Dunn)
6 - GeoScienceWorld
7 - Google Images
8 - Google Scholar
9 - Handbook of Mineralogy (MinSocAm)
10 - Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA)
11 - MinDAT
12 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
13 - Online Mineral Museum
14 - QUT Mineral Atlas
15 - Ruff.Info
16 - WWW-MINCRYST

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Breithauptite

NiSb
Dana No: 02.08.11.02 Strunz No: 02.CC.05
Locality:

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