Canfieldite Mineral Data
General Canfieldite Information
Chemical Formula:
Ag8SnS6
Composition:
Molecular Weight = 1,174.05 gm
Silver 73.50 % Ag
Tin 10.11 % Sn
Sulfur 16.39 % S
______
100.00 %
Empirical Formula:
Ag8 SnS6
Environment:
Forms a series with argyrodite,
IMA Status:
Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1894
Locality:
Aullagas near Chayanta, northwest of Colquechaca, Bolivia. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.
Name Origin:
Named after Frederick A. Canfield (1849-1926), American mining engineer and mineral collector.
Name Pronunciation:
Canfieldite + Pronunciation
Synonym:
ICSD 42533
PDF 38-434
Canfieldite Image
Images:
Canfieldite
Comments: Dull, black pseudo-octahedral crystals of canfieldite.
Location: Gallofa vein, Colquechaca, Chayanta, Potosi, Bolivia.
Scale: Crystal size 2 cm.
© Dave Barthelmy
Canfieldite Crystallography
Axial Ratios:
a:b:c =2.0267:1:1.4174
Cell Dimensions:
a = 15.298, b = 7.548, c = 10.699, Z = 4; V = 1,235.41 Den(Calc)= 6.31
Crystal System:
Orthorhombic - Pyramidal H-M Symbol (mm2) Space Group: P na21
X Ray Diffraction:
By Intensity(I/Io ): 3.02(1), 1.863(0.5), 2.66(0.4),
Forms:
Mouse
Dbl Clk - Start-Stop Rotation
RMB - Cycle Display Modes
Drag1 - Manipulate Crystal
Drag2 - Resize
Keyboard
S - Stereo
I - Indicies
<space> - Start-Stop Rotation
F - Fit to Screen
M - Menu
Help on Above
Forms:
( 1 1 1)
( 0 1 0)
( 1 0 0)
( 0 0 1)
Warning: this java applet does not work in some browsers because of security restrictions.
Physical Properties of Canfieldite
Cleavage:
None
Color:
Black.
Density:
6.28
Diaphaneity:
Opaque
Fracture:
Brittle - Conchoidal - Very brittle fracture producing small, conchoidal fragments.
Habit:
Botryoidal - "Grape-like" rounded forms (e.g.. malachite).
Habit:
Pseudo Cubic - Crystals show a cubic outline.
Habit:
Twinning Common - Crystals are usually twinned.
Hardness:
2.5 - Finger Nail
Luster:
Metallic
Streak:
grayish black
Optical Properties of Canfieldite
RL Color:
Gray white with violet tint.
Reflectivity
Standardized Intensity (100%) Reflection Spectra of Canfieldite in Air
λ
R
∑ R (λ)
400 nm
29.70
420 nm
28.60
440 nm
27.50
460 nm
26.70
480 nm
26.10
500 nm
25.60
520 nm
25.30
540 nm
25.10
560 nm
24.90
580 nm
24.80
600 nm
24.90
620 nm
25.00
640 nm
25.10
660 nm
25.20
680 nm
25.20
700 nm
25.20
Calculated Relative Intensity Colors of Canfieldite in Air
Relative Intensity
0%
40%
80%
100%
120%
160%
200%
240%
280%
320%
350%
R
Calculated Properties of Canfieldite
Electron Density:
Bulk Density (Electron Density)=5.61 gm/cc note: Specific Gravity of Canfieldite =6.31 gm/cc.
Fermion Index:
Fermion Index = 0.01 Boson Index = 0.99
Photoelectric:
PECanfieldite = 220.66 barns/electronU=PECanfieldite x r Electron Density=1,238.14 barns/cc.
Radioactivity:
GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units) Canfieldite is Not Radioactive
Canfieldite Classification
Dana Class:
02.05.06.02 (02) Sulfides - Including Selenides and Tellurides
(02.05) where Am Bn Xp, with (m+n):p=3:2
(02.05.06) Argyrodite Group
02.05.06.01 Argyrodite Ag8GeS6 Pna2 mm2
02.05.06.02 Canfieldite Ag8SnS6 P na21 mm2
Strunz Class:
02.BA.35 02 - SULFIDES and SULFOSALTS (sulfides, selenides, tellurides; arsenides, antimonides, bismuthides; sulfarsenites, sulf
02.B - Metal Sulfides, M:S > 1:1 (mainly 2:1)
02.BA -With Cu, Ag, Au
02.BA.35 Argyrodite Ag8GeS6 Pna2 mm2
02.BA.35 Canfieldite Ag8SnS6 P na21 mm2
02.BA.35 Putzite ! (Cu4.7Ag3.3)GeS6 F4 3m 4 3m
Other Canfieldite Information
References:
NAME( MinRec) PHYS. PROP.(Dana8) OPTIC PROP.(AntBidBlaNic1)
See Also:
Links to other databases for Canfieldite :
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 - MinDAT
11 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
12 - Online Mineral Museum
13 - QUT Mineral Atlas
14 - Ruff.Info
Search for Canfieldite using:
[AOL ]
[Bing ]
[Dog Pile ]
[GeoScienceWorld ]
[HotBot ]
[Ixquick ]
[Lycos ]
[MAMMA ]
[Scirus ]
[Teoma ]
[WebCrawler ]
[Wikipedia ]
[YAHOO ]
Visit our Advertisers for Canfieldite :
Ask about Canfieldite here :
Ask-A-Mineralogist from the Mineralogical Society of America
Mindat.org's Discussion Groups
Original Rockhounds Discussion Group
Rockhounds Discussion Group on Yahoo Groups
Mineral Discussion Forum from Fabre Minerals - also available in
Espaņol
Print or Cut-and-Paste your Canfieldite Specimen Label here :
Canfieldite
Ag8SnS6
Dana No: 02.05.06.02 Strunz No: 02.BA.35
Locality:
Notes:
Dakota Matrix
Excalibur Minerals
Exceptional Minerals
Hudson Insitute
John Betts Fine Minerals
Mc Dougall Minerals
Mineral News
Rock and Mineral Shows
Weinrich Minerals, Inc.