Mineralogy Database

Digenite Mineral Data

Search Webmineral :
  

General Digenite Information

Help on Chemical Formula: Chemical Formula: Cu9S5
Help on Composition: Composition: Molecular Weight = 732.24 gm
   Copper  78.10 %  Cu
   Sulfur  21.90 %  S
          ______ 
          100.00 % 
Help on Empirical Formula: Empirical Formula: Cu9S5
Help on Environment: Environment: In hydrothermal copper deposits of primary and secondary origin. Formed under a wide range of conditions; reported from mafic intrusives, as an exhalation product, and in pegmatites .
Help on IMA Status: IMA Status: Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1844
Help on Locality: Locality: In the USA, at Butte, Silver Bow Co., Montana. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.
Help on Name Origin: Name Origin: From the Greek for "two kinds" or "sexes," in reference to the presumed presence of both cuprous and cupric ions.
Help on Name Pronunciation: Name Pronunciation: Digenite Say DIGENITE
 

Digenite Image

Click Here for Larger Image in a New Browser Window Images:
Click Here for Larger Image

  Digenite

Comments: Bluish trigonal crystal of Digenite.
Location: Butte, Silver Bow County, Montana, USA. Scale: Not Given.
© Lou Perloff / Photo Atlas of Minerals

Digenite Crystallography
Help on Axial Ratios: Axial Ratios: a:c = 1:12.24802
Help on Cell Dimensions: Cell Dimensions: a = 3.919, c = 48, Z = 3; V = 638.44 Den(Calc)= 5.71
Help on Crystal System: 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/Io): 1.973(1), 2.79(0.4), 3.21(0.4),
 

Physical Properties of Digenite

Help on Cleavage: Cleavage: {???} Indistinct
Help on Color: Color: Blue, Dark blue, Black.
Help on Density: Density: 5.6
Help on Diaphaneity: Diaphaneity: Opaque
Help on Fracture: Fracture: Brittle - Conchoidal - Very brittle fracture producing small, conchoidal fragments.
Help on Habit: Habit: Pseudo Cubic - Crystals show a cubic outline.
Help on Hardness: Hardness: 2.5-3 - Finger Nail-Calcite
Help on Luster: Luster: Sub Metallic
Help on Streak: Streak: grayish black
 

Optical Properties of Digenite

Help on RL Anisotrophism: RL Anisotrophism: Mostly isotropic.
Help on RL Color: RL Color: Distinctly blue in polished section.
Help on Reflectivity Reflectivity
Standardized Intensity (100%) Reflection Spectra of Digenite in Air
λ R  ∑ R(λ) 
 400 nm   28.70   
 420 nm   27.70 
 440 nm   26.70 
 460 nm   25.60 
 480 nm   24.60 
 500 nm   23.60 
 520 nm   22.50 
 540 nm   21.60 
 560 nm   20.80 
 580 nm   20.20 
 600 nm   19.50 
 620 nm   19.00 
 640 nm   18.50 
 660 nm   18.00 
 680 nm   17.60 
 700 nm   17.20 
Calculated Relative Intensity Colors of Digenite in Air
Relative
Intensity		    0%   50% 100% 150% 200% 250% 300% 350% 400% 440%
R                    
 

Calculated Properties of Digenite

Help on Electron Density: Electron Density: Bulk Density (Electron Density)=5.32 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Digenite =5.71 gm/cc.
Help on Fermion Index: Fermion Index: Fermion Index = 0.001642178
Boson Index = 0.998357822
Help on Photoelectric: Photoelectric: PEDigenite = 36.46 barns/electron
U=PEDigenite x rElectron Density= 193.91 barns/cc.
Help on Radioactivity: Radioactivity: GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Digenite is Not Radioactive
 

Digenite Classification
Help on Dana Class: Dana Class: 02.04.07.03 (02)Sulfides - Including Selenides and Tellurides
  (02.04)where Am Bn Xp, with (m+n):p=2:1
  (02.04.07)Chalcocite Group ([Cu]2-x S] formulae)
 
02.04.07.01 Chalcocite Cu2S P 21/c 2/m
 
02.04.07.02 Djurleite Cu31S16 P 21/n 2/m
 
02.04.07.03 Digenite Cu9S5 R 3m 3 2/m
 
02.04.07.04 Roxbyite Cu1.78S C 2/m 2/m
 
02.04.07.05 Anilite Cu7S4 P nma 2/m 2/m 2/m
 
02.04.07.06 Geerite Cu8S5 R 3m, R 3m, or R 32 Trig
 
02.04.07.07 Spionkopite Cu1.4S P 3m1 ? 3m
Help on Strunz Class: Strunz Class: 02.BA.05e 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.05e Digenite Cu9S5 R 3m 3 2/m
 

Other Digenite Information
Help on References: References: NAME( AntBidBlaNic1) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(AntBidBlaNic1)
Help on See Also: See Also: Links to other databases for Digenite :
1 - Alkali-Nuts(English)
2 - Alkali-Nuts(Francais)
3 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
4 - Amethyst Galleries' Mineral Gallery
5 - Athena
6 - EUROmin Project
7 - Ecole des Mines de Paris
8 - Franklin Minerals(Dunn)
9 - GeoScienceWorld
10 - Google Images
11 - Google Scholar
12 - Handbook of Mineralogy (MinSocAm)
13 - Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA)
14 - HyperPhysics
15 - MinDAT
16 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
17 - Online Mineral Museum
18 - QUT Mineral Atlas
19 - Ruff.Info
20 - Scandinavian mineral gallery
21 - WWW-MINCRYST

Search for Digenite using:

Google
 
Web webmineral.com
[AOL] [Bing] [Dog Pile] [GeoScienceWorld] [HotBot] [Ixquick] [Lycos] [MAMMA] [Scirus] [Teoma] [WebCrawler] [Wikipedia] [YAHOO]

Visit our Advertisers for Digenite :

Ask about Digenite 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 Digenite Specimen Label here :

Digenite

Cu9S5
Dana No: 02.04.07.03 Strunz No: 02.BA.05e
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.