Chalcanthite Mineral Data

General Chalcanthite Information

Chemical Formula:

CuSO4•5(H2O)

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 249.69 gm

Copper 25.45 % Cu 31.86 % CuO

Hydrogen 4.04 % H 36.08 % H₂O

Sulfur 12.84 % S 32.07 % SO₃

Oxygen 57.67 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Cu(SO₄)•5(H₂O)

Environment:

Secondary, formed in arid climates or in rapidly oxidizing copper deposits.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) Prehistoric

Locality:

Walls and timbers of copper mines. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

From the Greek chalkos, "copper" and anthos, "flower." Generally pseudomorphous after Boothite.

Name Pronunciation:

Chalcanthite + Pronunciation

Synonym:

Blue Vitrol

Copper Vitrol

ICSD 20657

PDF 11-646

Chalcanthite Image

Images:

Chalcocyanite Chalcanthite

Comments: White to pale bluish chalcocyanite with darker bluish chalcanthite. The mineral is hygroscopic and must be stored in a closed box.
Location: Ronneburg U deposit, Gera district, Thuringia, Germany. Scale: Picture size 4 mm.
© Thomas Witzke / Abraxas-Verlag

Images:

Dolerophanite Chalcanthite Fedotovite

Comments: Brown crystals of dolerophanite with blue chalcanthite and green fedotovite.
Location: Great Fissure (Main Fracture) eruption, Tolbachik volcano, Kamchatka Oblast', Far-Eastern Region, Russia. Scale: Picture size 3 mm.
© Thomas Witzke / Abraxas-Verlag

Images:

Fedotovite Chalcanthite

Comments: Green fedotovite with pale blue chalcanthite.
Location: Great Fissure (Main Fracture) eruption, Tolbachik volcano, Kamchatka Oblast', Far-Eastern Region, Russia. Scale: Picture size 4 mm.
© Thomas Witzke / Abraxas-Verlag

Images:

Chalcanthite

Comments: Fibrous columnar crystalline chalcanthite.
Location: Planet Mine, La Paz County, Arizona, USA. Scale: See Photo.
© Jeff Weissman / Photographic Guide to Mineral Species

Chalcanthite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =0.5719:1:0.5579

Cell Dimensions:

a = 6.12, b = 10.7, c = 5.97, Z = 2; alpha = 97.583°, beta = 107.167°, gamma = 77.55° V = 361.55 Den(Calc)= 2.29

Crystal System:

Triclinic - Pinacoidal H-M Symbol ( 1) Space Group: P1

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 4.73(1), 3.71(0.85), 3.99(0.6),

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Forms: ( 0 2 1) ( 0 1 0) ( 1 3 0) ( 1 1 0) ( 1 1 1) ( 1 0 0)

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Physical Properties of Chalcanthite

Cleavage:

{110} Imperfect, {110} Indistinct, {111} Indistinct

Color:

Green, Green blue, Light blue, Dark blue.

Density:

2.12 - 2.3, Average = 2.21

Diaphaneity:

Subtransparent to translucent

Fracture:

Conchoidal - Fractures developed in brittle materials characterized by smoothly curving surfaces, (e.g. quartz).

Habit:

Encrustations - Forms crust-like aggregates on matrix.

Habit:

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

Habit:

Stalactitic - Shaped like pendant columns as stalactites or stalagmites (e.g. calcite).

Hardness:

2.5 - Finger Nail

Luminescence:

Non-fluorescent.

Luster:

Vitreous (Glassy)

Streak:

white

Optical Properties of Chalcanthite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= -0.034 (Excellent) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= -0.002 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.2341,KPDmeas= 0.2415,KC= 0.2336
Ncalc = 1.5 - 1.54

Optical Data:

Biaxial (-), a=1.516, b=1.539, g=1.546, bire=0.0300, 2V(Calc)=56, 2V(Meas)=56. Dispersion none.

Calculated Properties of Chalcanthite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=2.32 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Chalcanthite =2.28 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.0012460623
Boson Index = 0.9987539377

Photoelectric:

PE_Chalcanthite= 11.43 barns/electron
U=PE_Chalcanthite x rElectron Density= 26.52 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

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

Chalcanthite Classification

Dana Class:

29.06.07.01 (29)Hydrated Acid and Sulfates

(29.06)where A XO4 ï¿½ x(H2O)

(29.06.07)Chalchanthite Group (Triclinic: P-1)

29.06.07.01 Chalcanthite CuSO4•5(H2O) P1 1

29.06.07.02 Siderotil FeSO4•5(H2O) P1 1

29.06.07.03 Pentahydrite MgSO4•5(H2O) P1 1

29.06.07.04 Jokokuite MnSO4•5(H2O) P1 1

Strunz Class:

07.CB.20 07 - SULFATES (SELENATES, TELLURATES)

07.C - Sulfates (selenates, etc.) without Additional Anions, with H2O

07.CB -With only medium-sized cations

07.CB.20 Chalcanthite CuSO4•5(H2O) P1 1

07.CB.20 Jokokuite MnSO4•5(H2O) P1 1

07.CB.20 Pentahydrite MgSO4•5(H2O) P1 1

07.CB.20 Siderotil FeSO4•5(H2O) P1 1

Other Chalcanthite Information

References:

NAME( Duda&Rejl90) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(Ford32)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Chalcanthite :
1 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
2 - Amethyst Galleries' Mineral Gallery
3 - Athena
4 - EUROmin Project
5 - Ecole des Mines de Paris
6 - GeoScienceWorld
7 - Glendale Community College
8 - Google Images
9 - Google Scholar
10 - Handbook of Mineralogy (MinSocAm)
11 - Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA)
12 - MinDAT
13 - Mineral and Gemstone Kingdom
14 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
15 - Online Mineral Museum
16 - Philatelic Mineralogy
17 - QUT Mineral Atlas
18 - Ruff.Info
19 - WWW-MINCRYST

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Chalcanthite

CuSO4•5(H2O)
Dana No: 29.06.07.01 Strunz No: 07.CB.20
Locality:

Notes:

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