Bechererite Mineral Data

Bechererite Mineral Data +

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General Bechererite Information

Chemical Formula:

(Zn,Cu)6Zn2(OH)13[(S,Si)(O,OH)4]2

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 933.60 gm

Zinc 45.53 % Zn 56.67 % ZnO

Copper 10.21 % Cu 12.78 % CuO

Silicon 1.50 % Si 3.22 % SiO₂

Hydrogen 1.62 % H 14.47 % H₂O

Sulfur 5.15 % S 10.29 % SO₂

Oxygen 35.99 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 97.43 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Zn_4.5Cu_1.5Zn₂(OH)₁₃2(S_0.75)2(Si_0.25)2(O₃)2(OH)

Environment:

Alteration product of copper and zinc orebodies.

IMA Status:

Approved IMA 1994 (Dana # Added)

Locality:

The dump of the Tonopah-Belmont mine, Osborne silver-gold district, Maricopa County, Arizona USA. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named after Dr. Karl Becherer (1926-) of the University of Vienna, in recognition of his contributions to the mineralogy of Spangolite from Lavrion.

Synonym:

ICSD 81354

IMA1994-005

PDF 46-1438

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Bechererite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:c = 1:0.88632

Cell Dimensions:

a = 8.322, c = 7.376, Z = 1; V = 442.39 Den(Calc)= 3.50

Crystal System:

Trigonal - PyramidalH-M Symbol (3) Space Group: P 3

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 7.37(1), 2.556(0.5), 3.282(0.3),

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Forms: [ 2 4 1] [ 1 2 0] [ 0 0 1]

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Giester G , Rieck B , American Mineralogist , 81 (1996) p.244-248, Bechererite, (Zn,Cu)6Zn2(OH)13[(S,Si)(O,OH)4]2, a novel mineral species from the, Tonopah-Belmont mine, Arizonia, Note: U(1,2) changed for Si, S, O1, OH1 to match symmetry constraints.

View Additional jPOWD Structure files for Bechererite
[1]

Physical Properties of Bechererite

Cleavage:

[001] Perfect

Color:

Light green.

Density:

3.45 - 3.49, Average = 3.47

Diaphaniety:

Transparent

Fracture:

Brittle - Generally displayed by glasses and most non-metallic minerals.

Habit:

Acicular - Occurs as needle-like crystals.

Habit:

Druse - Crystal growth in a cavity which results in numerous crystal tipped surfaces.

Habit:

Spherical - Spherical, rounded aggregates.

Hardness:

2.5-3 - Finger Nail-Calcite

Luminescence:

Non-fluorescent.

Luster:

Vitreous (Glassy)

Streak:

white

Optical Properties of Bechererite

Dichroism (e):

colorless.

Dichroism (w):

colorless.

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= 0.023 (Excellent) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= 0.032 (Excellent) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.188,KPDmeas= 0.1896,KC= 0.1941

Optical Data:

Uniaxial (-), e=1.611, w=1.705, bire=0.0940.

Calculated Properties of Bechererite

Electron Density:

r_electron=3.36 gm/cc
note: r_Bechererite=3.47 gm/cc.

Fermion Index

Fermion Index = 0.01992
Boson Index = 0.98008

Photoelectric:

PE_Bechererite= 27.31 barns/electron
U=PE_Bechererite x r_electron= 91.87 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)

Bechererite is Not Radioactive

Bechererite Classification

Dana Class:

31.1.6.2 (31)Hydrated Sulfates Containing Hydroxyl or Halogen

(31.1)where (A+ B++)m (XO4)p Zq·x(H2O), where m:p>6:1

(31.1.6)Dana Group

31.1.6.1 Schulenbergite (Cu,Zn)7(SO4,CO3)2(OH)10·3(H2O) P 3 or P 3- Trig

31.1.6.2 Bechererite ! (Zn,Cu)6Zn2(OH)13[(S,Si)(O,OH)4]2 P 3 3

Strunz Class:

VI/D.08-05 VI - Sulfates,Chromates,Molybdates and Tungstates

VI/D - Water-bearing sulfates with unfamiliar anions. cations of medium size

VI/D.08 - Spangolite - Glaucocerinite series

VI/D.08-05 Bechererite (Zn,Cu)6Zn2(OH)13[(S,Si)(O,OH)4]2 P 3 3

VI/D.08-10 Spangolite Cu6Al(SO4)(OH)12Cl·3(H2O) P 3₁c 3m

VI/D.08-20 Cyanotrichite Cu4Al2(SO4)(OH)12·2(H2O) Unk Ortho

VI/D.08-30 Carbonate-cyanotrichite Cu4Al2(CO3,SO4)(OH)12·2(H2O) Unk Ortho

VI/D.08-35 Camerolaite Cu4Al2[HSbO4,SO4](OH)10(CO3)·2(H2O) P 2₁ ? 2

VI/D.08-40 Woodwardite Cu4Al2(SO4)(OH)12·2-4(H2O) Unk Hex

VI/D.08-42 Hydrowoodwardite! Cu1-xAlx(OH)2(SO4)x/2·n(H2O)with0<x<0.67andn>3x/2 R 3m 3 2/m

VI/D.08-45 Zincowoodwardite! [Zn1-xAlx(OH)2][(SO4)x/2(H2O)n] P 3- or R 3m 3

VI/D.08-45* Zincowoodwardite-1T! [Zn1BxAlx(OH)2][(SO4)x/2·n(H2O)],x=0.33,n.0.96 P 3 3

VI/D.08-45** Zincowoodwardite-3R! [Zn1BxAlx(OH)2][(SO4)x/2·n(H2O)],0.32<x<0.50,n=0.59 R 3m 3 2/m

VI/D.08-50 Chalcoalumite CuAl4(SO4)(OH)12·3(H2O) P 2₁ 2

VI/D.08-60 Nickelalumite (Ni,Cu)Al4[(SO4),(NO3)2](OH)12·3(H2O) P 2₁ 2

VI/D.08-70 Mbobomkulite (Ni,Cu)Al4(NO3,SO4)2(OH)12·3(H2O) P 2₁ 2

VI/D.08-80 Hydrombobomkulite (Ni,Cu)Al4(NO3,SO4)2(OH)12·14(H2O) Unk Mono

VI/D.08-90 Carrboydite (Ni,Cu)14Al9(SO4,CO3)6(OH)43·7(H2O) Unk Hex

VI/D.08-100 Zincaluminite Zn6Al6(SO4)2(OH)26·5(H2O) Unk Hex

VI/D.08-110 Glaucocerinite (Zn,Cu)5Al3(SO4)1.5(OH)16·9(H2O) Unk (HEX-R) Trig

Other Bechererite Information

References:

NAME( MinRec) PHYS. PROP.(Am.Min.,Vol.81,1996) OPTIC PROP.(MinRec)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Bechererite :
1 -Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database 2 -Athena 3 - Crocoite.com Mineral Locations 4 -Google Images 5 -Google Scholar 6 -Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA) 7 -MinDAT 8 -MinMax(Deutsch) 9 -MinMax(English) 10 -Mineralienatlas (Deutsch) 11 -QUT Mineral Atlas 12 - WWW-MINCRYST

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

Bechererite

(Zn,Cu)6Zn2(OH)13[(S,Si)(O,OH)4]2
Dana No: 31.1.6.2 Strunz No: VI/D.08-05
Locality:

Notes: