Prosperite Mineral Data

General Prosperite Information

Chemical Formula:

CaZn2(AsO4)2•(H2O)

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 466.71 gm

Calcium 8.59 % Ca 12.02 % CaO

Zinc 28.02 % Zn 34.88 % ZnO

Arsenic 32.11 % As 49.25 % As₂O₅

Hydrogen 0.43 % H 3.86 % H₂O

Oxygen 30.85 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

CaZn₂(AsO₄)₂•(H₂O)

Environment:

Secondary mineral in vugs in partly altered sulfide ore.

IMA Status:

Approved IMA 1979

Locality:

Tsumeb mine, Tsumeb, Namibia. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named for Prosper J. Williams (1910-), South African-Canadian mineral dealer from Toronto, Canada.

Name Pronunciation:

Prosperite + Pronunciation

Synonym:

ICSD 17034

IMA1978-028

PDF 33-599

Prosperite Image

Images:

Prosperite

Comments: B&W image of prosperite prisms.
Location: Tsumeb, South West Africa (Namibia). Scale: Crystal Length 5 mm.
© Canadian Mineralogist

Prosperite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =2.4884:1:1.263

Cell Dimensions:

a = 19.238, b = 7.731, c = 9.765, Z = 8; beta = 104.47° V = 1,406.27 Den(Calc)= 4.41

Crystal System:

Monoclinic - Prismatic H-M Symbol (2/m) Space Group: C 2/c

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 2.723(1), 2.992(0.9), 3.11(0.8),

Physical Properties of Prosperite

Cleavage:

None

Color:

Colorless, White.

Density:

4.31

Habit:

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

Habit:

Radial - Crystals radiate from a center without producing stellar forms (e.g. stibnite)

Habit:

Wheat Sheaf - Bundle shaped aggregates resembling wheat sheafs after hand reaping wheat.

Hardness:

4.5 - Between Fluorite and Apatite

Luminescence:

Non-fluorescent.

Luster:

Vitreous - Silky

Streak:

white

Optical Properties of Prosperite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= -0.01 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= 0.013 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.171,KPDmeas= 0.1749,KC= 0.1732
Ncalc = 1.75 - 1.76

Optical Data:

Biaxial (+), a=1.746, b=1.748, g=1.768, bire=0.0220, 2V(Calc)=36, 2V(Meas)=34. Dispersion r > v.

Calculated Properties of Prosperite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=4.06 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Prosperite =4.31 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.01
Boson Index = 0.99

Photoelectric:

PE_Prosperite= 37.37 barns/electron
U=PE_Prosperite x rElectron Density= 151.87 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

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

Prosperite Classification

Dana Class:

40.02.04.01 (40)Hydrated Phosphates, etc

(40.02)where A++ (B++)2 (XO4) ï¿½ x(H2O)

(40.02.04)Dana Group

40.02.04.01 Prosperite CaZn2(AsO4)2•(H2O) C 2/c 2/m

Strunz Class:

08.CA.60 08 - PHOSPHATES, ARSENATES, VANADATES

08.C - Phosphates without Additional Anions, with H2O

08.CA -With small and large/medium cations

08.CA.60 Prosperite CaZn2(AsO4)2•(H2O) C 2/c 2/m

Other Prosperite Information

References:

NAME( Dana8) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Prosperite :
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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Print or Cut-and-Paste your Prosperite Specimen Label here :

Prosperite

CaZn2(AsO4)2•(H2O)
Dana No: 40.02.04.01 Strunz No: 08.CA.60
Locality:

Notes:

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