Comblainite Mineral Data

General Comblainite Information

Chemical Formula:

Ni++6Co+++2(CO3)(OH)16•4(H2O)

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 874.19 gm

Cobalt 13.48 % Co 18.97 % Co₂O₃

Nickel 40.28 % Ni 51.26 % NiO

Hydrogen 2.77 % H 24.73 % H₂O

Carbon 1.37 % C 5.03 % CO₂

Oxygen 42.09 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Ni₆Co₂(CO₃)(OH)₁₆•4(H₂O)

Environment:

Secondary mineral found on altered uraninite in the uranium deposits at Shinkolobwe.

IMA Status:

Approved IMA 1980

Locality:

Shinkolobwe mine (Kasolo mine), Shaba (Katanga), Congo (Zaire). Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named for Gordon Comblain (1929-) of the Musee Royal de l'Afrique Centrale, Tervuren, Belgium who discovered the mineral.

Comblainite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:c = 1:7.49671

Cell Dimensions:

a = 6.08, c = 45.58, Z = 3; V = 1,459.19 Den(Calc)= 2.98

Crystal System:

Trigonal - Hexagonal Scalenohedral H-M Symbol (3 2/m) Space Group: R 3m

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 7.64(1), 2.567(0.7), 3.808(0.5),

Physical Properties of Comblainite

Color:

Blue, Turquoise.

Density:

3.05

Diaphaneity:

Transparent

Habit:

Encrustations - Forms crust-like aggregates on matrix.

Hardness:

2 - Gypsum

Luster:

Pearly

Optical Properties of Comblainite

Dichroism (e):

none.

Dichroism (w):

none.

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= 0.089 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= 0.068 (Fair) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.2305,KPDmeas= 0.2252,KC= 0.2473
Ncalc = 1.74 - 1.75

Optical Data:

Uniaxial (-), e=1.684, w=1.69, bire=0.0060.

Calculated Properties of Comblainite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=2.97 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Comblainite =2.98 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.0049091668
Boson Index = 0.9950908332

Photoelectric:

PE_Comblainite= 20.21 barns/electron
U=PE_Comblainite x rElectron Density= 60.07 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

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

Comblainite Classification

Dana Class:

16b.06.03.03 (16b)Carbonates - Hydroxyl or Halogen

(16b.06)Dana Type

(16b.06.03)Sjorgrenite-Hydrotalcite Group (Hydrotalcite Subgroup:Rhombohedral)

16b.06.03.01 Reevesite Ni6Fe2(CO3)(OH)16•4(H2O) R 3m 3 2/m

16b.06.03.02 Takovite Ni6Al2(OH)16(CO3,OH)•4(H2O) R 3m 3 2/m

16b.06.03.03 Comblainite Ni6Co2(CO3)(OH)16•4(H2O) R 3m 3 2/m

Strunz Class:

05.DA.50 05 - CARBONATES (NITRATES)

05.D - Carbonates with Additional Anions, with H2O

05.DA -With medium-sized cations

05.DA.50 Desautelsite Mg6Mn2(CO3)(OH)16•4(H2O) R 3m or R 3m Trig

05.DA.50 Comblainite Ni6Co2(CO3)(OH)16•4(H2O) R 3m 3 2/m

05.DA.50 Hydrotalcite Mg6Al2(CO3)(OH)16•4(H2O) R 3m 3 2/m

05.DA.50 Pyroaurite Mg6Fe2(CO3)(OH)16•4(H2O) R 3m 3 2/m

05.DA.50 Reevesite Ni6Fe2(CO3)(OH)16•4(H2O) R 3m 3 2/m

05.DA.50 Stichtite Mg6Cr2(CO3)(OH)16•4(H2O) R 3m 3 2/m

05.DA.50 Takovite Ni6Al2(OH)16(CO3,OH)•4(H2O) R 3m 3 2/m

Other Comblainite Information

References:

NAME( Dana8) PHYS. PROP.(Dana8) OPTIC PROP.(Dana8)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Comblainite :
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 Comblainite using:

[AOL] [Bing] [Dog Pile] [GeoScienceWorld] [HotBot] [Ixquick] [Lycos] [MAMMA] [Scirus] [Teoma] [WebCrawler] [Wikipedia] [YAHOO]

Visit our Advertisers for Comblainite :

Ask about Comblainite 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 Español

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

Comblainite

Ni++6Co+++2(CO3)(OH)16•4(H2O)
Dana No: 16b.06.03.03 Strunz No: 05.DA.50
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.