Chalcoalumite Mineral Data

General Chalcoalumite Information

Chemical Formula:

CuAl4(SO4)(OH)12•3(H2O)

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 525.67 gm

Aluminum 20.53 % Al 38.79 % Al₂O₃

Copper 12.09 % Cu 13.61 % Cu₂O

Hydrogen 3.45 % H 30.84 % H₂O

Sulfur 6.10 % S 15.23 % SO₃

Oxygen 57.83 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 98.48 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

CuAl₄(SO₄)(OH)₁₂•3(H₂O)

Environment:

Secondary mineral in the oxidized portions of copper deposits.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1925

Locality:

Bisbee, Cochise Co., and in the Grandview mine, Grand Canyon, Coconino Co., Arizona. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named from the Greek chalkos, for copper and Latin alum, for aluminum sulfate.

Name Pronunciation:

Chalcoalumite

Chalcoalumite Image

Images:

Chalcoalumite

Comments: Pale bluish stellate twins of chalcoalumite on matrix.
Location: Lavender Pit, Bisbee, Cohchise County, Arizona, USA. Scale: Size Not Given.
© Lou Perloff / Photo Atlas of Minerals

Chalcoalumite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =1.9169:1:1.1464

Cell Dimensions:

a = 17.09, b = 8.915, c = 10.221, Z = 4; beta = 95.883° V = 1,549.04 Den(Calc)= 2.25

Crystal System:

Monoclinic - Sphenoidal H-M Symbol (2) Space Group: P 2₁

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 8.5(1), 4.25(0.91), 4.18(0.23),

Physical Properties of Chalcoalumite

Cleavage:

{100} Perfect

Color:

Blue, Blue gray, Greenish blue, Light blue green.

Density:

2.29

Diaphaneity:

Transparent to Translucent

Fracture:

Flexible - Flexible fragments.

Habit:

Encrustations - Forms crust-like aggregates on matrix.

Habit:

Fibrous - Crystals made up of fibers.

Hardness:

2.5 - Finger Nail

Luminescence:

Non-fluorescent.

Luster:

Vitreous - Dull

Streak:

bluish white

Optical Properties of Chalcoalumite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= 0.063 (Fair) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= 0.047 (Good) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.2326,KPDmeas= 0.2285,KC= 0.244
Ncalc = 1.55 - 1.56

Optical Data:

Biaxial (+), a=1.52, b=1.52, g=1.53, bire=0.0100, 2V(Calc)=0, 2V(Meas)=0-15. Dispersion relatively strong.

Calculated Properties of Chalcoalumite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=2.29 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Chalcoalumite =2.25 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.0007402576
Boson Index = 0.9992597424

Photoelectric:

PE_{Chalcoalumite}= 6.07 barns/electron
U=PE_{Chalcoalumite} x rElectron Density= 13.87 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

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

Chalcoalumite Classification

Dana Class:

31.03.01.01 (31)Hydrated Sulfates Containing Hydroxyl or Halogen

(31.03)where (A+ B++)5 (XO4) Zqï¿½x(H2O)

(31.03.01)Dana Group

31.03.01.01 Chalcoalumite CuAl4(SO4)(OH)12•3(H2O) P 2₁ 2

31.03.01.02 Nickelalumite* (Ni,Cu)Al4[(SO4),(NO3)2](OH)12•3(H2O) P 2₁ 2

31.03.01.03 Kyrgyzstanite! ZnAl4(SO4)(OH)12•3(H2O) P 2₁/n 2/m

Strunz Class:

07.DD.75 07 - SULFATES (SELENATES, TELLURATES)

07.D - Sulfates (selenates, etc.) with additional anions, with H2O

07.DD -With only medium-sized cations; sheets of edge-sharing octahedra

07.DD.75 Chalcoalumite CuAl4(SO4)(OH)12•3(H2O) P 2₁ 2

07.DD.75 Nickelalumite* (Ni,Cu)Al4[(SO4),(NO3)2](OH)12•3(H2O) P 2₁ 2

Other Chalcoalumite Information

References:

NAME( AntBidBlaNic5) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(Dana)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Chalcoalumite :
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
15 - YupRocks

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

Chalcoalumite

CuAl4(SO4)(OH)12•3(H2O)
Dana No: 31.03.01.01 Strunz No: 07.DD.75
Locality:

Notes:

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