Sphaerocobaltite Mineral Data

General Sphaerocobaltite Information

Chemical Formula:

CoCO3

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 118.94 gm

Cobalt 49.55 % Co 63.00 % CoO

Carbon 10.10 % C 37.00 % CO₂

Oxygen 40.35 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Co(CO₃)

Environment:

Altered Co-Ni veins.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1877

Locality:

Schneeberg, Saxony, Germany. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named for the composition and form.

Name Pronunciation:

Sphaerocobaltite + Pronunciation

Synonym:

Cobaltocalcite

ICSD 61066

PDF 11-692

Sphaerocobaltite Image

Images:

Sphaerocobaltite

Comments: Calcite with numerous crystals of red sphaerocobaltite to 3 mm across.
Location: Kamoto Mine, Mashamba, Katanga, Dem. Rep. of the Congo. Scale: Picture size 1.5 cm.
© John Veevaert

Images:

Vladimirite Sphaerocobaltite

Comments: Translucent white prismatic vladimirite microcrystals with pink sphaerocobaltite.
Location: Irhtem Mine, near Bou Azzer, Ouarzazate, Morocco. Scale: See Photo.
© Jeff Weissman / Photographic Guide to Mineral Species

Sphaerocobaltite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:c = 1:3.21034

Cell Dimensions:

a = 4.659, c = 14.957, Z = 6; V = 281.16 Den(Calc)= 4.21

Crystal System:

Trigonal - Hexagonal Scalenohedral H-M Symbol (3 2/m) Space Group: R 3c

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 2.743(1), 3.551(0.4), 1.702(0.3),

Physical Properties of Sphaerocobaltite

Cleavage:

{1011} Perfect, {1011} Perfect, {1011} Perfect

Color:

Gray brown, Pink, Black, Rose red.

Density:

4.1

Diaphaneity:

Transparent to translucent

Habit:

Encrustations - Forms crust-like aggregates on matrix.

Habit:

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

Habit:

Spherical - Spherical, rounded aggregates.

Hardness:

3-4 - Calcite-Fluorite

Luster:

Vitreous - Adamantine

Streak:

pink

Optical Properties of Sphaerocobaltite

Dichroism (e):

violet red.

Dichroism (w):

rose red.

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= 0.051 (Good) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= 0.076 (Fair) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.1764,KPDmeas= 0.1811,KC= 0.1908
Ncalc = 1.78 - 1.8

Optical Data:

Uniaxial (-), e=1.6, w=1.885, bire=0.2850.

Calculated Properties of Sphaerocobaltite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=3.93 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Sphaerocobaltite =4.10 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.0013044981
Boson Index = 0.9986955019

Photoelectric:

PE_{Sphaerocobaltite}= 17.04 barns/electron
U=PE_{Sphaerocobaltite} x rElectron Density= 66.98 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

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

Sphaerocobaltite Classification

Dana Class:

14.01.01.05 (14)Anhydrous Carbonates

(14.01)with Simple Formula A+ CO3

(14.01.01)Calcite Group (Trigonal: R-3c)

14.01.01.01 Calcite CaCO3 R 3c 3 2/m

14.01.01.02 Magnesite MgCO3 R 3c 3 2/m

14.01.01.03 Siderite FeCO3 R 3c 3 2/m

14.01.01.04 Rhodochrosite MnCO3 R 3c 3 2/m

14.01.01.05 Sphaerocobaltite CoCO3 R 3c 3 2/m

14.01.01.06 Smithsonite ZnCO3 R 3c 3 2/m

14.01.01.07 Otavite CdCO3 R 3c 3 2/m

14.01.01.08 Gaspeite (Ni,Mg,Fe)CO3 R 3c 3 2/m

Strunz Class:

05.AB.05 05 - CARBONATES (NITRATES)

05.A - Carbonates without additional anions, without H2O

05.AB -Alkali-earth (and other M2+) carbonates

05.AB.05 Calcite CaCO3 R 3c 3 2/m

05.AB.05 Gaspeite (Ni,Mg,Fe)CO3 R 3c 3 2/m

05.AB.05 Magnesite MgCO3 R 3c 3 2/m

05.AB.05 Rhodochrosite MnCO3 R 3c 3 2/m

05.AB.05 Otavite CdCO3 R 3c 3 2/m

05.AB.05 Sphaerocobaltite CoCO3 R 3c 3 2/m

05.AB.05 Siderite FeCO3 R 3c 3 2/m

05.AB.05 Smithsonite ZnCO3 R 3c 3 2/m

Other Sphaerocobaltite Information

References:

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

See Also:

Links to other databases for Sphaerocobaltite :
1 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
2 - Amethyst Galleries' Mineral Gallery
3 - Athena
4 - EUROmin Project
5 - GeoScienceWorld
6 - Google Images
7 - Google Scholar
8 - Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA)
9 - MinDAT
10 - Mineral and Gemstone Kingdom
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 Sphaerocobaltite Specimen Label here :

Sphaerocobaltite

CoCO3
Dana No: 14.01.01.05 Strunz No: 05.AB.05
Locality:

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