Mimetite Mineral Data

General Mimetite Information

Chemical Formula:

Pb5(AsO4)3Cl

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 1,488.21 gm

Arsenic 15.10 % As 23.17 % As₂O₅

Lead 69.61 % Pb 74.99 % PbO

Chlorine 2.38 % Cl 2.38 % Cl

- % Cl -0.54 % -O=Cl₂

Oxygen 12.90 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Pb₅(AsO₄)₃Cl

Environment:

Secondary mineral in lead ores.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1835

Locality:

Treue Freundschaft Mine, Johanngeorgenstadt, Erzgebirge, Saxony, Germany. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

From the Greek mimethes - "imitator" , because of its resemblance to pyromorphite.

Name Pronunciation:

Mimetite

Synonym:

Arsenopyromorphite

Campylite

ICSD 64826

Mimetesite

PDF 19-683

Prixite

Mimetite Image

Images:

Duftite-alpha Mimetite

Comments: Mimetite crystals are replaced by Duftite-alpha on a gossanous matrix.
Location: Mt. Bonnie Mine, Northern Territory, Australia. Scale: Crystal size to 3mm.
© John Veevaert

Images:

Mimetite Cerussite

Comments: Creamy white crystal of cerussite measuring 11 x 22 mm in size nestled nicely in a vug which is lined by bright-yellow, lustrous, prismatic mimetite crystals. The mimetites average 5 mm in length.
Location: Tsumeb mine, Tsumeb, Namibia. Scale: 3.5 x 4.5 x 2.5 cm.
© Dan Weinrich

Images:

Mimetite

Comments: Crystals of tan colored Mimetite. The largest crystal is 1 cm across.
Location: Mt. Bonnie Mine, Northen Territory, Austalia. Scale: 2.9 x 1.7 cm.
© John Veevaert

Images:

Plumbogummite Mimetite

Comments: White, fuzzy aggregates of plumbogummite covering lime green mimetite (campylite) crystals.
Location: Caldbeck Fells, Cumbria, England. Scale: Not Given.
© Lou Perloff / Photo Atlas of Minerals

Images:

Mimetite Wulfenite

Comments: Gemmy, pale yellow mimetite crystal with brownish-orange wulfenite. Former James and Dawn Minette Collection.
Location: Gem Pocket 1971, Tsumeb, Namibia. Scale: 2 x 1 x 1 cm.
© Rob Lavinsky

Images:

Joelbruggerite Mimetite

Comments: SEM image of a barrel-shaped joÃ«lbruggerite crystal lanced by acicular mimetite. (AmMin, v94:1012).
Location: Black Pine mine, 14.5 km northwest of Philipsburg, Granite County, Montana, USA. Scale: Crystal Size 30 µm across.
© American Mineralogist

Mimetite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:c = 1:0.71128

Cell Dimensions:

a = 10.46, c = 7.44, Z = 2; V = 704.96 Den(Calc)= 7.01

Crystal System:

Hexagonal - Dipyramidal H-M Symbol (6/m) Space Group: P 6₃/m

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 3.06(1), 3.01(0.95), 2.96(0.65),

Forms:

Mouse
Dbl Clk - Start-Stop Rotation
RMB - Cycle Display Modes
Drag1 - Manipulate Crystal
Drag2 - Resize
Keyboard
S - Stereo
I - Indicies
<space> - Start-Stop Rotation
F - Fit to Screen
M - Menu
Help on Above

Forms: ( 1 1 1) ( 1 0 1) ( 0 1 0) ( 0 0 1)

Warning: this java applet does not work in some browsers because of security restrictions.

Physical Properties of Mimetite

Cleavage:

{1011} Imperfect

Color:

White, Yellow, Orange, Brown, Red.

Density:

7.1 - 7.24, Average = 7.17

Diaphaneity:

Subtransparent to translucent

Fracture:

Brittle - Conchoidal - Very brittle fracture producing small, conchoidal fragments.

Habit:

Globular - Spherical, or nearly so, rounded forms (e.g. wavellite).

Habit:

Prismatic - Crystals Shaped like Slender Prisms (e.g. tourmaline).

Habit:

Reniform - "Kidney like" in shape (e.g.. hematite).

Hardness:

3.5-4 - Copper Penny-Fluorite

Luminescence:

Fluorescent, Short UV=orange, Long UV=orange.

Luster:

Adamantine - Resinous

Streak:

white

Optical Properties of Mimetite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= -0.095 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= -0.12 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.1621,KPDmeas= 0.1585,KC= 0.1448
Ncalc = 2.01 - 2.05

Optical Data:

Uniaxial (-), e=2.129, w=2.144, bire=0.0150.

Calculated Properties of Mimetite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=5.99 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Mimetite =7.17 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.15
Boson Index = 0.85

Photoelectric:

PE_Mimetite=1,290.30 barns/electron
U=PE_Mimetite x rElectron Density=7,733.29 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

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

Mimetite Classification

Dana Class:

41.08.04.02 (41)Anhydrous Phosphates, etc. Containing Hydroxyl or Halogen

(41.08)where (A)5 (XO4)3 Zq

(41.08.04)Pyromorphite Group

41.08.04.01 Pyromorphite Pb5(PO4)3Cl P 6₃/m 6/m

41.08.04.02 Mimetite Pb5(AsO4)3Cl P 6₃/m 6/m

41.08.04.03 Vanadinite Pb5(VO4)3Cl P 6₃/m 6/m

41.08.04.04 Hydroxylpyromorphite! Pb5(PO4)3OH P 6₃/m 6/m

Strunz Class:

08.BN.05 08 - PHOSPHATES, ARSENATES, VANADATES

08.B - Phosphates, etc. with Additional Anions, without H2O

08.BN -With only large cations, (OH, etc.):RO4 = 0.33:1

08.BN.05 Alforsite Ba5(PO4)3Cl P 6₃/m 6/m

08.BN.05 Apatite* Ca5(PO4)3(OH,F,Cl) P 6₃/m 6/m

08.BN.05 Belovite-(Ce) (Sr,Ce,Na,Ca)5(PO4)3(OH) P 3 3

08.BN.05 Belovite-(La)! (Sr,La,Ce,Ca)5(PO4)3(F,OH) P 3 3

08.BN.05 Fermorite (Ca,Sr)5(AsO4,PO4)3(OH) P 6₃/m 6/m

08.BN.05 Deloneite-(Ce)! NaCa2SrCe(PO4)3F P 3 3

08.BN.05 Johnbaumite Ca5(AsO4)3(OH) P 6₃/m,P 6₃ Hex

08.BN.05 Apatite-(CaOH) Ca5(PO4)3(OH) P 6₃/m 6/m

08.BN.05 Apatite-(CaCl) Ca5(PO4)3Cl P 6₃/m 6/m

08.BN.05 Carbonate-fluorapatite? Ca5(PO4,CO3)3F P 6₃/m 6/m

08.BN.05 Carbonate-hydroxylapatite? Ca5(PO4,CO3)3(OH) P 6₃/m 6/m

08.BN.05 Clinomimetite Pb5(AsO4)3Cl P 2₁/b 2/m

08.BN.05 Apatite-(CaF) Ca5(PO4)3F P 6₃/m 6/m

08.BN.05 Fluorcaphite! (Ca,Sr,Ce,Na)5(PO4)3F P 6₃ 6

08.BN.05 Hedyphane Ca2Pb3(AsO4)3Cl P 6₃/m 6/m

08.BN.05 Mimetite Pb5(AsO4)3Cl P 6₃/m 6/m

08.BN.05 Apatite-(SrOH) (Sr,Ca)5(PO4)3(F,OH) P 6₃/m 6/m

08.BN.05 Morelandite (Ba,Ca,Pb)5(AsO4,PO4)3Cl P 6₃/m,P 6₃ Hex

08.BN.05 Pyromorphite Pb5(PO4)3Cl P 6₃/m 6/m

08.BN.05 Vanadinite Pb5(VO4)3Cl P 6₃/m 6/m

08.BN.05 Apatite-(CaOH)-M! (Ca,Na)5[(P,S)O4]3(OH,Cl) P 2₁/b 2/m

08.BN.05 IMA2008-068! Ca2Pb3(PO4)3F P 6₃/m 6/m

08.BN.05 Svabite Ca5(AsO4)3F P 6₃/m 6/m

08.BN.05 Kuannersuite-(Ce)! Ba6Na2REE2(PO4)6FCl P 3 3

08.BN.05 Turneaureite Ca5[(As,P)O4]3Cl P 6₃/m 6/m

08.BN.05 Phosphohedyphane! Ca2Pb3(PO4)3Cl P 6₃/m 6/m

08.BN.05 IMA2008-009! Sr5(PO4)3F P 6₃/m 6/m 2/m 2/m

08.BN.05 Hydroxylpyromorphite! Pb5(PO4)3OH P 6₃/m 6/m

Other Mimetite Information

References:

NAME( Duda&Rejl90) PHYS. PROP.(Collectors Book of Fluorescent Minerals) OPTIC PROP.(Mason68)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Mimetite :
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 - Glendale Community College
11 - Google Images
12 - Google Scholar
13 - Handbook of Mineralogy (MinSocAm)
14 - Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA)
15 - HyperPhysics
16 - MinDAT
17 - Mineral and Gemstone Kingdom
18 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
19 - Online Mineral Museum
20 - Philatelic Mineralogy
21 - QUT Mineral Atlas
22 - Ruff.Info
23 - WWW-MINCRYST
24 - YupRocks
25 - theimage

Search for Mimetite using:

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

Visit our Advertisers for Mimetite :

Ask about Mimetite 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 Mimetite Specimen Label here :

Mimetite

Pb5(AsO4)3Cl
Dana No: 41.08.04.02 Strunz No: 08.BN.05
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.