Mineralogy Database

Plancheite Mineral Data

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General Plancheite Information

Help on Chemical  Formula: Chemical Formula: Cu8Si8O22(OH)4•(H2O)
Help on Composition: Composition: Molecular Weight = 1,171.08 gm
   Copper    43.41 %  Cu   54.34 % CuO
   Silicon   19.19 %  Si   41.05 % SiO2
   Hydrogen   0.52 %  H     4.62 % H2O
   Oxygen    36.89 %  O
            ______        ______ 
            100.00 %      100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE
Help on Empirical Formula: Empirical Formula: Cu8Si8O22(OH)4•(H2O)
Help on Environment: Environment: Secondary mineral in the oxidized zones of copper deposits.
Help on IMA Status: IMA Status: Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1908
Help on Locality: Locality: Tantara and Kambowe, Zaire. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.
Help on Name Origin: Name Origin: Named after J. Planche who brought it from Africa.
Help on Name Pronunciation: Name Pronunciation: Plancheite + Pronunciation Say PLANCHEITE
Help on Synonym: Synonym: Bisbeeite
  ICSD 100073
  Katangaite
  Katangite
  PDF 29-576
 

Plancheite Image

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  Plancheite

Comments: Open vug lined with individual plancheite crystals to 3mm.
Location: Mashamba West Mine, Shaba, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Scale: 2.5 x 1.7 cm.
© John Veevaert

Plancheite Crystallography

Help on Axial Ratios: Axial Ratios: a:b:c =0.946:1:0.2617
Help on Cell Dimensions: Cell Dimensions: a = 19.043, b = 20.129, c = 5.269, Z = 4; V = 2,019.69 Den(Calc)= 3.85
Help on Crystal System: Crystal System: Orthorhombic - Dipyramidal H-M Symbol (2/m 2/m 2/m) Space Group: Pcnb
Help on X Ray Diffraction: X Ray Diffraction: By Intensity(I/Io): 4.43(1), 3.32(0.7), 3.5(0.7),
 

Physical Properties of Plancheite

Help on Color: Color: Blue, Greenish blue.
Help on Density: Density: 3.6 - 3.8, Average = 3.7
Help on Diaphaneity: Diaphaneity: Translucent
Help on Fracture: Fracture: Unknown - Minerals too small to observe fractures.
Help on Habit: Habit: Acicular - Occurs as needle-like crystals.
Help on Habit: Habit: Fibrous - Crystals made up of fibers.
Help on Habit: Habit: Radial - Crystals radiate from a center without producing stellar forms (e.g. stibnite)
Help on Hardness: Hardness: 5.5 - Knife Blade
Help on Luminescence: Luminescence: Non-fluorescent.
Help on Luster: Luster: Adamantine - Silky
Help on Magnetism: Magnetism: Nonmagnetic
Help on Streak: Streak: light blue
 

Optical Properties of Plancheite

Help on Gladstone-Dale: Gladstone-Dale: CI meas= 0.059 (Fair) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= 0.096 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.1749,KPDmeas= 0.182,KC= 0.1934
Ncalc = 1.7 - 1.74
Help on Optical Data: Optical Data: Biaxial (+), a=1.645, b=1.66, g=1.715, bire=0.0700
Help on Pleochroism (x): Pleochroism (x): colorless.
Help on Pleochroism (y): Pleochroism (y): colorless.
Help on Pleochroism (z): Pleochroism (z): blue.
 

Calculated Properties of Plancheite

Help on Electron Density: Electron Density: Bulk Density (Electron Density)=3.58 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Plancheite =3.70 gm/cc.
Help on Fermion Index: Fermion Index: Fermion Index = 0.009137694
Boson Index = 0.990862306
Help on Photoelectric: Photoelectric: PEPlancheite = 19.68 barns/electron
U=PEPlancheite x rElectron Density= 70.38 barns/cc.
Help on Radioactivity: Radioactivity: GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Plancheite is Not Radioactive
 

Plancheite Classification

Help on  Dana Class: Dana Class: 66.02.01.01 (66)Inosilicate Double-Width Unbranched Chains, W=2
  (66.02)with P=2 non-amphibole configuration
  (66.02.01)Plancheite Group
 
66.02.01.01 Plancheite Cu8Si8O22(OH)4•(H2O) Pcnb 2/m 2/m 2/m
 
66.02.01.02 Bigcreekite! BaSi2O5•4(H2O) P nma 2/m 2/m 2/m
Help on  Strunz Class: Strunz Class: 09.DB.35 09 - SILICATES (Germanates)
  09.D - Inosilicates* Structural terminology according to Liebau (1985)
  09.DB -Inosilicates with 2-periodic single chains, Si2O6; Pyroxene-related minerals
 
09.DB.35 Plancheite Cu8Si8O22(OH)4•(H2O) Pcnb 2/m 2/m 2/m
 

Other Plancheite Information

Help on References: References: NAME( Duda&Rejl90) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(Ford32)
Help on See Also: See Also: Links to other databases for Plancheite :
1 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
2 - Amethyst Galleries' Mineral Gallery
3 - Athena
4 - EUROmin Project
5 - Ecole des Mines de Paris
6 - GeoScienceWorld
7 - Google Images
8 - Google Scholar
9 - Handbook of Mineralogy (MinSocAm)
10 - Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA)
11 - MinDAT
12 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
13 - Online Mineral Museum
14 - Philatelic Mineralogy
15 - QUT Mineral Atlas
16 - Ruff.Info
17 - WWW-MINCRYST

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

Plancheite

Cu8Si8O22(OH)4•(H2O)
Dana No: 66.02.01.01 Strunz No: 09.DB.35
Locality:

 

Notes:

 

 
   
 


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