Eriochalcite Mineral Data

General Eriochalcite Information

Chemical Formula:

CuCl2•2(H2O)

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 170.48 gm

Copper 37.27 % Cu 46.66 % CuO

Hydrogen 2.36 % H 21.13 % H₂O

Chlorine 41.59 % Cl 41.59 % Cl

- % Cl -9.38 % -O=Cl₂

Oxygen 18.77 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

CuCl₂•2(H₂O)

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1884

Locality:

Monte Somma, Vesuvius, Naples Province, Campania, Italy Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

From the Greek erion = "wool" and kalcos= "copper", in allusion to its form and to the chemical composition.

Name Pronunciation:

Eriochalcite + Pronunciation

Synonym:

ICSD 34239

PDF 33-451

Eriochalcite Image

Images:

Eriochalcite

Comments: Green grains of eriochalcite from the eruption of 1875, Vesuvius volcano.
Location: Vesuvius volcano. Vesuvius, Naples, Naples province, Campania, Italy. Scale: Picture size 3 mm.
© Thomas Witzke / Abraxas-Verlag

Eriochalcite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =0.9179:1:0.4626

Cell Dimensions:

a = 7.38, b = 8.04, c = 3.72, Z = 2; V = 220.73 Den(Calc)= 2.56

Crystal System:

Orthorhombic - Dipyramidal H-M Symbol (2/m 2/m 2/m) Space Group: Pbmn

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 5.44(1), 4.02(0.14), 2.637(0.1),

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Forms: ( 0 1 0) ( 5 2 0) ( 3 0 1) ( 1 1 1) ( 1 1 0) ( 1 0 0) ( 0 0 1)

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Physical Properties of Eriochalcite

Cleavage:

{110} Perfect, {001} Good

Color:

Blue green, Green blue.

Density:

2.47

Diaphaneity:

Transparent

Fracture:

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

Hardness:

2.5 - Finger Nail

Luster:

Vitreous (Glassy)

Optical Properties of Eriochalcite

Optical Data:

Biaxial (+), a=1.646, b=1.685, g=1.745, bire=0.0990, 2V(Calc)=82, 2V(Meas)=75.

Calculated Properties of Eriochalcite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=2.49 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Eriochalcite =2.56 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.0000936415
Boson Index = 0.9999063585

Photoelectric:

PE_Eriochalcite= 18.91 barns/electron
U=PE_Eriochalcite x rElectron Density= 47.13 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

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

Eriochalcite Classification

Dana Class:

09.02.08.01 (09)Anhydrous and Hydrated Halides

(09.02)where A (X)2

(09.02.08)Dana Group

09.02.08.01 Eriochalcite CuCl2•2(H2O) Pbmn 2/m 2/m 2/m

09.02.08.02 Tolbachite CuCl2 C 2/m 2/m

Strunz Class:

03.BB.05 03 - HALIDES

03.B - Simple Halides, with H2O

03.BB -M:X = 1:2

03.BB.05 Eriochalcite CuCl2•2(H2O) Pbmn 2/m 2/m 2/m

Other Eriochalcite Information

References:

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

See Also:

Links to other databases for Eriochalcite :
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 - WWW-MINCRYST

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Eriochalcite

CuCl2•2(H2O)
Dana No: 09.02.08.01 Strunz No: 03.BB.05
Locality:

Notes:

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