Tennantite Mineral Data (original) (raw)
General Tennantite Information
Chemical Formula:
(Cu,Fe)12As4S13
Composition:
Molecular Weight = 1,471.40 gm
Iron 3.80 % Fe
Copper 47.51 % Cu
Arsenic 20.37 % As
Sulfur 28.33 % S
______
100.00 %
Empirical Formula:
Cu11Fe2+As4S13
Environment:
Hydrothermal veins and contact metamorphic deposits.
IMA Status:
Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1819
Locality:
Cornwall, England, UK. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.
Name Origin:
Named after the English chemist, Smithson Tennant (1761-1815).
Name Pronunciation:
Tennantite + Pronunciation 
Synonym:
Binnite
ICSD 26780
Julianite
PDF 43-1478
Tennantite Image
Images:
 |
Tennantite Calcioandyrobertsite-1M Comments: Vein of blue calcioandyrobertsite in massive dark gray tennantite. The vein of calcioandyrobertsite extends for 0.8cm. Location: Tsumeb Mine, Tsumeb, Namibia.Scale: Specimen size 1.1 x 0.5 cm. © John Veevaert |
|---|
Images:
 |
Tennantite Comments: Crystals of dark gray tennantite on white quartz. Location: Concepcion del Oro, Zacatecas, Mexico.Scale: 6 x 5.5 cm. © Fabre Minerals |
|---|
Images:
Images:
 |
Tennantite Comments: Micro-quartz coated, dark gray tennantite on quartz. Former Sussman Tsumeb specimen. Location: Tsumeb, Namibia.Scale: Crystal size 5 cm. © John Schneider |
|---|
Tennantite Crystallography
Cell Dimensions:
a = 10.186, Z = 2; V = 1,056.84 Den(Calc)= 4.62
Crystal System:
Isometric - HextetrahedralH-M Symbol (4 3m) Space Group: I 43m
X Ray Diffraction:
By Intensity(I/Io): 2.94(1), 1.801(0.8), 1.535(0.5),
Forms:
Mouse
Dbl Clk - Start-Stop Rotation
RMB - Cycle Display Modes
Drag1 - Manipulate Crystal
Drag2 - Resize
Keyboard
S - Stereo
I - Indicies
- Start-Stop Rotation
F - Fit to Screen
M - Menu
Help on Above
| | Forms:( 2 1 1) ( 1 0 0) ( 1 1 0) Warning: this large pop-up is very compute intensive and may not work well with some computers. | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
Crystal Structure:
Mouse
drag1 - LMB Manipulate Structure
drag2 - RMB Resize/Rotate
Keyboard
S - Stereo Pair on/off
H - Help Screen
I - Data Info
A - Atoms On/Off
P - Polyhedra On/Off
B - Bonds On/Off
Help on Above
| | Makovicky E , Karanovic L , Poleti D , Balic-Zunic T , Paar W H , The Canadian Mineralogist , 43 (2005) p.679-688, Crystal structure of copper-rich unsubstituted tennantite, Cu12.5As4S13, Sample: Cerro Atajo, Catamarco, Argentina View Additional jPOWD Structure files for Tennantite [1] [2] | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
Physical Properties of Tennantite
Cleavage:
None
Color:
Steel gray, Black.
Density:
4.6 - 4.7, Average = 4.65
Diaphaneity:
Opaque
Fracture:
Hackly - Jagged, torn surfaces, (e.g. fractured metals).
Habit:
Disseminated - Occurs in small, distinct particles dispersed in matrix.
Habit:
Massive - Granular - Common texture observed in granite and other igneous rock.
Habit:
Massive - Uniformly indistinguishable crystals forming large masses.
Hardness:
3.5-4 - Copper Penny-Fluorite
Luminescence:
Non-fluorescent.
Luster:
Metallic
Magnetism:
Nonmagnetic
Streak:
reddish gray
Optical Properties of Tennantite
Optical Data:
Isotropic, n=2.72.
RL Color:
Gray, inclining to black to brown to cherry-red.
RL Pleochroism:
None.
Reflectivity
Standardized Intensity (100%) Reflection Spectra of Tennantite in Air
| λ | R |  |
∑ R(λ) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 400 nm | 31.40 |  |
|
| 420 nm | 30.60 |  |
|
| 440 nm | 29.80 |  |
|
| 460 nm | 29.20 |  |
|
| 480 nm | 29.00 |  |
|
| 500 nm | 29.00 |  |
|
| 520 nm | 28.80 |  |
|
| 540 nm | 28.50 |  |
|
| 560 nm | 28.00 |  |
|
| 580 nm | 27.30 |  |
|
| 600 nm | 26.40 |  |
|
| 620 nm | 25.60 |  |
|
| 640 nm | 24.80 |  |
|
| 660 nm | 24.20 |  |
|
| 680 nm | 23.80 |  |
|
| 700 nm | 23.40 |  |
Calculated Relative Intensity Colors of Tennantite in Air
| RelativeIntensity | 0% | 40% | 80% | 100% | 120% | 160% | 200% | 240% | 280% | 320% | 340% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R |
Calculated Properties of Tennantite
Electron Density:
Bulk Density (Electron Density)=4.30 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Tennantite =4.62 gm/cc.
Fermion Index:
Fermion Index = 0.0029294543
Boson Index = 0.9970705457
Photoelectric:
PETennantite = 38.34 barns/electron
U=PETennantite x rElectron Density= 164.92 barns/cc.
Radioactivity:
GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Tennantite is Not Radioactive
Tennantite Classification
Dana Class:
03.03.06.02 (03)Sulfides - Sulfosalts
(03.03)where 3 < z/y < 4 - (A+)i (A++)j [By Cz], A=metals, B=semi-metals, C=non-metals
(03.03.06)Tetrahedrite Group (Isometric: I-43m)
03.03.06.01 Tetrahedrite (Cu,Fe)12Sb4S13 I 43m 4 3m
03.03.06.02 Tennantite (Cu,Fe)12As4S13 I 43m 4 3m
03.03.06.03 Freibergite (Ag,Cu,Fe)12(Sb,As)4S13 I 43m 4 3m
03.03.06.04 Hakite (Cu,Hg)3(Sb,As)(Se,S)3 I 43m 4 3m
03.03.06.05 Giraudite (Cu,Zn,Ag)12(As,Sb)4(Se,S)13 I 43m 4 3m
03.03.06.06 Goldfieldite Cu12(Te,Sb,As)4S13 I 43m 4 3m
03.03.06.07 Argentotennantite (Ag,Cu)10(Zn,Fe)2(As,Sb)4S13 I 43m 4 3m
Strunz Class:
02.GB.05 02 - SULFIDES and SULFOSALTS (sulfides, selenides, tellurides; arsenides, antimonides, bismuthides; sulfarsenites, sulf
02.G - Sulfarsenites, sulfantimonites, sulfbismuthites
02.GB -Neso-sulfarsenites, etc
02.GB.05 Argentotennantite (Ag,Cu)10(Zn,Fe)2(As,Sb)4S13 I 43m 4 3m
02.GB.05 Giraudite (Cu,Zn,Ag)12(As,Sb)4(Se,S)13 I 43m 4 3m
02.GB.05 Goldfieldite Cu12(Te,Sb,As)4S13 I 43m 4 3m
02.GB.05 Freibergite (Ag,Cu,Fe)12(Sb,As)4S13 I 43m 4 3m
02.GB.05 Hakite (Cu,Hg)3(Sb,As)(Se,S)3 I 43m 4 3m
02.GB.05 Tennantite (Cu,Fe)12As4S13 I 43m 4 3m
02.GB.05 Tetrahedrite (Cu,Fe)12Sb4S13 I 43m 4 3m
Other Tennantite Information
References:
NAME( Duda&Rejl90) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(AntBidBlaNic1)
See Also:
Links to other databases for Tennantite :
1 - Alkali-Nuts(English)
2 - Alkali-Nuts(Francais)
3 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
4 - Amethyst Galleries' Mineral Gallery
5 - Athena
6 - EUROmin Project
7 - Ecole des Mines de Paris
8 - Franklin Minerals(Dunn)
9 - Franklin Minerals(Palache)
10 - GeoScienceWorld
11 - Google Images
12 - Google Scholar
13 - Handbook of Mineralogy (MinSocAm)
14 - Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA)
15 - HyperPhysics
16 - MinDAT
17 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
18 - Online Mineral Museum
19 - QUT Mineral Atlas
20 - Ruff.Info
21 - Scandinavian mineral gallery
22 - WWW-MINCRYST
Search for Tennantite using:
[AOL] [Bing] [Dog Pile] [GeoScienceWorld] [HotBot] [Ixquick] [Lycos] [MAMMA] [Scirus] [Teoma] [WebCrawler] [Wikipedia] [YAHOO]
Visit our Advertisers for Tennantite :
A Bijoux Google Search for Tennantite
Adam's Minerals Google Search for Tennantite
Cape Minerals Google Search for Tennantite
Dakota Matrix Minerals Google Search for Tennantite
Excalibur Mineral Corp. Google Search for Tennantite
Exceptional Minerals Google Search for Tennantite
John Betts Fine Minerals Search for Tennantite
McDougall Minerals Google Search for Tennantite
Mineral News Website Link
Rock and Mineral Shows Google Search for Tennantite
Weinrich Minerals, Inc. Google Search for Tennantite
Ask about Tennantite 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 Espa�ol
Print or Cut-and-Paste your Tennantite Specimen Label here :
Tennantite
(Cu,Fe)12As4S13
Dana No: 03.03.06.02 Strunz No: 02.GB.05
Locality:
Notes: