Tlalocite Mineral Data

General Tlalocite Information

Chemical Formula:

Cu10Zn6(Te++++O3)(Te++++++O4)2Cl(OH)25•27(H2O)

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 2,533.64 gm

Zinc 15.49 % Zn 19.27 % ZnO

Copper 25.08 % Cu 31.40 % CuO

Tellurium 15.11 % Te 18.90 % TeO₂

Hydrogen 3.14 % H 28.09 % H₂O

Chlorine 1.40 % Cl 1.40 % Cl

- % Cl -0.32 % -O=Cl₂

Oxygen 39.78 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 98.74 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Cu₁₀Zn₆(TeO₃)(TeO₄)₂Cl(OH)₂₅•27(H₂O)

Environment:

Secondary copper-zinc mineral.

IMA Status:

Approved IMA 1975

Locality:

Bambollita mine, Moctezuma, Sonora, Mexico. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named for Tlaloc, the god of rain in the Toltec and Aztec civilizations, in allusion to its high water content.

Name Pronunciation:

Tlalocite + Pronunciation

Tlalocite Image

Images:

Tlalocite

Comments: Green, spherulitic aggregates of Tlalocite on matrix.
Location: Moctezuma, Mun. de Moctezuma, Sonora, Mexico. Scale: Picture size 1 mm.
© Thomas Witzke / Abraxas-Verlag

Tlalocite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =0.8396:1:0.6039

Cell Dimensions:

a = 16.78, b = 19.985, c = 12.069, Z = 4; V = 4,047.32 Den(Calc)= 4.16

Crystal System:

Orthorhombic Space Group: Unk.

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 4.201(1), 16.787(1), 8.394(0.8),

Physical Properties of Tlalocite

Color:

Blue, Capri blue.

Density:

4.55

Fracture:

Sectile - Curved shavings or scrapings produced by a knife blade, (e.g. graphite).

Habit:

Encrustations - Forms crust-like aggregates on matrix.

Hardness:

1 - Talc

Streak:

light blue

Optical Properties of Tlalocite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= 0.219 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= 0.146 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.1894,KPDmeas= 0.1732,KC= 0.2217
Ncalc = 1.92 - 2.01

Optical Data:

Biaxial (-), a=1.758, b=1.796, g=1.81, bire=0.0520, 2V(Calc)=60, 2V(Meas)=64.

Pleochroism (x):

yellowish green.

Pleochroism (y):

bluish green.

Pleochroism (z):

bluish green.

Calculated Properties of Tlalocite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=4.03 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Tlalocite =4.16 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.01
Boson Index = 0.99

Photoelectric:

PE_Tlalocite= 66.66 barns/electron
U=PE_Tlalocite x rElectron Density= 268.38 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

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

Tlalocite Classification

Dana Class:

33.03.02.01 (33)Selenates and Tellurates

(33.03)with other anion groups

(33.03.02)Dana Group

33.03.02.01 Tlalocite Cu10Zn6(TeO3)(TeO4)2Cl(OH)25•27(H2O) Unk. Ortho

Strunz Class:

07.DE.20 07 - SULFATES (SELENATES, TELLURATES)

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

07.DE -With only medium-sized cations; unclassified

07.DE.20 Tlalocite Cu10Zn6(TeO3)(TeO4)2Cl(OH)25•27(H2O) Unk. Ortho

Other Tlalocite Information

References:

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

See Also:

Links to other databases for Tlalocite :
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

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

Tlalocite

Cu10Zn6(Te++++O3)(Te++++++O4)2Cl(OH)25•27(H2O)
Dana No: 33.03.02.01 Strunz No: 07.DE.20
Locality:

Notes:

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