Brittle - Generally displayed by glasses and most non-metallic minerals.
Habit:
Tarnishes - Freshly fractured surfaces form a surface oxidation film
Hardness:
3-4 - Calcite-Fluorite
Luster:
Adamantine
Streak:
gray yellow
Optical Properties of Chursinite
Gladstone-Dale:
CI meas= 0.208 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC) CI calc= 0.275 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.1011,KPDmeas= 0.1104,KC= 0.1394 Ncalc = 2.26 - 2.38
Optical Data:
Biaxial (?), a=2
Pleochroism (x):
pale brownish yellow.
Pleochroism (z):
light brown.
RL Anisotrophism:
Dark brown to blue-gray.
RL Color:
Gray with a bluish tint, tarnishes to bluish to bluish white file.
Reflectivity
Standardized Intensity (100%) Reflection Spectra of Chursinite in Air
λ
R1
R2
∑ R1(λ)
∑ R2(λ)
460 nm
18.50
22.80
546 nm
16.10
20.40
590 nm
15.80
19.70
656 nm
14.50
18.50
Calculated Relative Intensity Colors of Chursinite in Air
Relative Intensity
0%
60%
100%
120%
180%
240%
300%
360%
420%
480%
540%
570%
R1
R2
Calculated Properties of Chursinite
Electron Density:
Bulk Density (Electron Density)=7.55 gm/cc note: Specific Gravity of Chursinite =9.06 gm/cc.
Fermion Index:
Fermion Index = 0.22 Boson Index = 0.78
Photoelectric:
PEChursinite =1,272.63 barns/electron U=PEChursinite x rElectron Density=9,606.61 barns/cc.
Radioactivity:
GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units) Chursinite is Not Radioactive
Chemical Formula: 
