Birchite Mineral Data (original) (raw)

General Birchite Information

Help on Chemical Formula: Chemical Formula:

Cd2Cu2(PO4)2(SO4)•5H2O

Help on Composition: Composition:

Molecular Weight = 741.06 gm

Calcium 0.11 % Ca 0.15 % CaO

Manganese 0.15 % Mn 0.19 % MnO

Zinc 0.88 % Zn 1.10 % ZnO

Cadmium 31.70 % Cd 36.22 % CdO

Copper 16.64 % Cu 20.82 % CuO

Phosphorus 8.65 % P 19.82 % P2O5

Hydrogen 1.36 % H 12.16 % H2O

Sulfur 3.81 % S 9.51 % SO3

Oxygen 36.70 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 99.97 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Help on Empirical Formula: Empirical Formula:

Cu1.94P2.07S0.88O12•5(H2O)Zn0.1Cd2.09Ca0.02Mn2+0.02

Help on Environment: Environment:

Late-stage supergene mineral formed as part of a suite of secondary phosphate minerals under low-temperature conditions. New structure type.

Help on IMA Status: IMA Status:

Approved IMA 2006 (Dana # Added)

Help on Locality: Locality:

Block 14 Opencut, Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Help on Name Origin: Name Origin:

Named for William D. Birch, Senior Curator of Geosciences at Museum Victoria, Australia, in recognition of his contribution to Australian geological sciences.

Help on Synonym: Synonym:

IMA2006-048

Birchite Image

Click Here for Larger Birchite Image in a New Browser Window Images:

Click Here for Larger Birchite Image Birchite Comments: SEM image showing bladed crystals of birchite on anglesite. The crystals are flattened on (100) and show the principal forms {100}, {010}, and {101}. (AmMin, v93:912). Location: Block 14 Opencut, Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia.Scale: Scale Bar 50µm. © American Mineralogist

Birchite Crystallography

Help on Axial Ratios: Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =0.5018:1:0.2944

Help on Cell Dimensions: Cell Dimensions:

a = 10.489, b = 20.901, c = 6.155, Z = 4; V = 1,349.36 Den(Calc)= 3.65

Help on Crystal System: Crystal System:

Orthorhombic - DipyramidalH-M Symbol (2/m 2/m 2/m) Space Group: P nma

Help on X Ray Diffraction: X Ray Diffraction:

By Intensity(I/Io): 10.451(1)(020), 1.919(0.8)(432), 2.902(0.7)(260),3.484(0.39)(060), 4.223(0.38)(131), 2.719(0.33)(132), 2.652(0.32)(042), 5.146(0.28)(111),

Click Here for Large Birchite Structure Window Crystal Structure:

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Help on Above

| | Elliot P , Brugger J , Pring A , Cole M L , Willis A C , Kolitsch U , American Mineralogist , 93 (2008) p.910-917, Birchite, a new mineral from Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia:, Description and structure refinement, Locality: Block 14 Opencut, Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |

Physical Properties of Birchite

Help on Color: Color:

Pale blue.

Help on Density: Density:

3.61

Help on Diaphaneity: Diaphaneity:

Translucent to transparent

Help on Fracture: Fracture:

Brittle - Conchoidal - Very brittle fracture producing small, conchoidal fragments.

Help on Habit: Habit:

Aggregates - Made of numerous individual crystals or clusters.

Help on Habit: Habit:

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

Help on Hardness: Hardness:

3.5-4 - Copper Penny-Fluorite

Help on Luster: Luster:

Vitreous (Glassy)

Help on Streak: Streak:

white

Optical Properties of Birchite

Help on Gladstone-Dale: Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= 0.007 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= 0.018 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.1762,KPDmeas= 0.1781,KC= 0.1793
Ncalc = 1.65

Help on Optical Data: Optical Data:

Biaxial (+), a=1.624, b=1.636, g=1.669, bire=0.0450

Calculated Properties of Birchite

Help on Electron Density: Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=3.43 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Birchite =3.61 gm/cc.

Help on Fermion Index: Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.08
Boson Index = 0.92

Help on Photoelectric: Photoelectric:

PEBirchite = 89.11 barns/electron
U=PEBirchite x rElectron Density= 305.26 barns/cc.

Help on Radioactivity: Radioactivity:

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

Birchite Classification

Help on Dana Class: Dana Class:

43.05.12.02 (43)Compound Phosphates, etc.

(43.05)(Hydrated Compound Anions With Hydroxyl or Halogen)

(43.05.12)Synadelphite Group

43.05.12.01 Synadelphite (Mn,Mg,Ca,Pb)9(AsO3)(AsO4)2(OH)9•2(H2O)(?) P nma 2/m 2/m 2/m

43.05.12.02 Birchite! Cd2Cu2(PO4)2(SO4)•5H2O P nma 2/m 2/m 2/m

Help on Strunz Class: Strunz Class:

08.DB.70 08 - PHOSPHATES, ARSENATES, VANADATES

08.D - Phosphates, etc

08.DB -With only medium-sized cations, (OH, etc.):RO4 < 1:1

08.DB.70 Birchite! Cd2Cu2(PO4)2(SO4)•5H2O P nma 2/m 2/m 2/m

Other Birchite Information

Help on References: References:

NAME( AmMin, v93:910) PHYS. PROP.(AmMin, v93:910) OPTIC PROP.(AmMin, v93:910)

Help on See Also: See Also:

Links to other databases for Birchite :
1 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
2 - Athena
3 - GeoScienceWorld
4 - Google Images
5 - Google Scholar
6 - MinDAT
7 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
8 - Online Mineral Museum
9 - QUT Mineral Atlas
10 - Ruff.Info

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Ask about Birchite here :
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Print or Cut-and-Paste your Birchite Specimen Label here :

Birchite

Cd2Cu2(PO4)2(SO4)•5H2O
Dana No: 43.05.12.02 Strunz No: 08.DB.70
Locality:

Notes: