Callaghanite Mineral Data

General Callaghanite Information

Chemical Formula:

Cu2Mg2(CO3)(OH)6•2(H2O)

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 373.79 gm

Magnesium 13.00 % Mg 21.57 % MgO

Copper 34.00 % Cu 42.56 % CuO

Hydrogen 2.70 % H 24.10 % H₂O

Carbon 3.21 % C 11.77 % CO₂

Oxygen 47.08 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Cu₂Mg₂(CO₃)(OH)₆•2(H₂O)

Environment:

Disseminated in the contact zone between diorite and serpentinized dolostone.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1954

Locality:

Gabbs, Gabbs district, Nye Co., Nevada, USA. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named for Eugene Callaghan (1904-1990), Director of the New Mexico Bureau of Mines, Socorro, New Mexico, USA.

Synonym:

ICSD 28268

PDF 11-332

Callaghanite Image

Images:

Callaghanite

Comments: Blue crystals of callaghanite on matrix.
Location: Gabbs, Nevada, USA. Scale: Picture size 4 mm.
© Thomas Witzke / Abraxas-Verlag

Callaghanite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =0.8525:1:0.6983

Cell Dimensions:

a = 10.06, b = 11.8, c = 8.24, Z = 4; beta = 107.3° V = 933.90 Den(Calc)= 2.66

Crystal System:

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

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 6.17(1), 7.45(1), 3.87(0.9),

Physical Properties of Callaghanite

Cleavage:

{111} Perfect, {111} Perfect

Color:

Azure, Violet blue.

Density:

2.71

Diaphaneity:

Transparent

Fracture:

Brittle - Uneven - Very brittle fracture producing uneven fragments.

Hardness:

3-3.5 - Calcite-Copper Penny

Luster:

Vitreous (Glassy)

Streak:

white

Optical Properties of Callaghanite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= -0.047 (Good) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= -0.067 (Fair) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.2371,KPDmeas= 0.2327,KC= 0.2223
Ncalc = 1.59 - 1.6

Optical Data:

Biaxial (-), a=1.559, b=1.653, g=1.68, bire=0.1210, 2V(Calc)=52, 2V(Meas)=55.

Calculated Properties of Callaghanite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=2.70 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Callaghanite =2.71 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.01
Boson Index = 0.99

Photoelectric:

PE_Callaghanite= 14.80 barns/electron
U=PE_Callaghanite x rElectron Density= 39.92 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

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

Callaghanite Classification

Dana Class:

16b.05.01.01 (16b)Carbonates - Hydroxyl or Halogen

(16b.05)with miscellaneous formulae

(16b.05.01)Dana Group

16b.05.01.01 Callaghanite Cu2Mg2(CO3)(OH)6•2(H2O) C 2/c 2/m

Strunz Class:

05.DA.25 05 - CARBONATES (NITRATES)

05.D - Carbonates with Additional Anions, with H2O

05.DA -With medium-sized cations

05.DA.25 Callaghanite Cu2Mg2(CO3)(OH)6•2(H2O) C 2/c 2/m

Other Callaghanite Information

References:

NAME( AntBidBlaNic3) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990)

See Also:

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

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

Callaghanite

Cu2Mg2(CO3)(OH)6•2(H2O)
Dana No: 16b.05.01.01 Strunz No: 05.DA.25
Locality:

Notes:

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