Ramsbeckite Mineral Data

General Ramsbeckite Information

Chemical Formula:

(Cu,Zn)15(SO4)4(OH)22•6(H2O)

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 1,826.61 gm

Zinc 13.42 % Zn 16.71 % ZnO

Copper 39.14 % Cu 48.99 % CuO

Hydrogen 1.88 % H 16.77 % H₂O

Sulfur 7.02 % S 17.53 % SO₃

Oxygen 38.54 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Cu_11.25Zn_3.75(SO₄)₄(OH)₂₂•6(H₂O)

Environment:

Alteration product found in mine dumps.

IMA Status:

Approved IMA 1985

Locality:

Bastenberg mine, near Ramsbeck, Germany. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named for the locality.

Name Pronunciation:

Ramsbeckite + Pronunciation

Synonym:

ICSD 63249

PDF 39-365

Ramsbeckite Image

Images:

Ramsbeckite

Comments: Green crystals of ramsbeckite on matrix.
Location: Gelbe Birke Mine, Schwarzenberg District, Erzgebirge, Saxony, Germany. Scale: Picture size 1 mm.
© Thomas Witzke / Abraxas-Verlag

Ramsbeckite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =1.0313:1:0.4559

Cell Dimensions:

a = 16.066, b = 15.577, c = 7.102, Z = 2; beta = 90.2° V = 1,777.34 Den(Calc)= 3.41

Crystal System:

Monoclinic - Prismatic H-M Symbol (2/m) Space Group: P 2₁/a

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 7.09(1), 2.516(0.75), 2.694(0.3),

Physical Properties of Ramsbeckite

Cleavage:

None

Color:

Green.

Density:

3.39

Diaphaneity:

Transparent to Translucent

Fracture:

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

Hardness:

3.5 - Copper Penny

Luster:

Vitreous (Glassy)

Streak:

light green

Optical Properties of Ramsbeckite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= 0.01 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= 0.016 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.1945,KPDmeas= 0.1957,KC= 0.1977
Ncalc = 1.67

Optical Data:

Biaxial (-), a=1.635, b=1.675, g=1.68, bire=0.0450, 2V(Calc)=38, 2V(Meas)=37.

Calculated Properties of Ramsbeckite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=3.30 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Ramsbeckite =3.39 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.0062184727
Boson Index = 0.9937815273

Photoelectric:

PE_Ramsbeckite= 24.02 barns/electron
U=PE_Ramsbeckite x rElectron Density= 79.24 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

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

Ramsbeckite Classification

Dana Class:

31.04.09.01 (31)Hydrated Sulfates Containing Hydroxyl or Halogen

(31.04)where (A+ B++)4 (XO4) Zqï¿½x(H2O)

(31.04.09)Dana Group

31.04.09.01 Ramsbeckite (Cu,Zn)15(SO4)4(OH)22•6(H2O) P 2₁/a 2/m

Strunz Class:

07.DD.60 07 - SULFATES (SELENATES, TELLURATES)

07.D - Sulfates (selenates, etc.) with additional anions, with H2O

07.DD -With only medium-sized cations; sheets of edge-sharing octahedra

07.DD.60 Ramsbeckite (Cu,Zn)15(SO4)4(OH)22•6(H2O) P 2₁/a 2/m

Other Ramsbeckite 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 Ramsbeckite :
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

Search for Ramsbeckite using:

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

Visit our Advertisers for Ramsbeckite :

Ask about Ramsbeckite 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 Ramsbeckite Specimen Label here :

Ramsbeckite

(Cu,Zn)15(SO4)4(OH)22•6(H2O)
Dana No: 31.04.09.01 Strunz No: 07.DD.60
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.