Paratacamite Mineral Data

Advertisment

Excalibur Mineral Corp. 1885 Seminole Trail - Suite 202 Charlottesville, VA 22901-1160 USA

General Paratacamite Information

Chemical Formula:

(Cu,Zn)2(OH)3Cl

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 214.49 gm

Zinc 15.24 % Zn 18.97 % ZnO

Copper 44.44 % Cu 55.63 % CuO

Hydrogen 1.41 % H 12.60 % H₂O

Chlorine 16.53 % Cl 16.53 % Cl

- % Cl -3.73 % -O=Cl₂

Oxygen 22.38 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Cu_1.5Zn_0.5(OH)₃Cl

Environment:

Alteration of copper minerals by chloride waters under cold conditions.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1873

Locality:

Generosa and Herminia mines, Sierra Gorda, Chile. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named for the dimorphous relationship with atacamite.

Name Pronunciation:

Paratacamite + Pronunciation

Synonym:

ICSD 64956

PDF 25-325

Paratacamite Image

Images:

Click Here for Larger Paratacamite Image

Paratacamite Christelite

Comments: Robins-egg blue christelite with dark green paratacamite on matrix.
Location: San Francisco mine, Sierra Gorda, Chile. Scale: 3 cm.
© John Veevaert

Images:

Paratacamite

Comments: Deep green crystal paratacamite rosettes on rusty quartz.
Location: Churchill Butte, Lyon County, Nevada, USA. Scale: See Photo.
© Jeff Weissman / Photographic Guide to Mineral Species

Paratacamite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:c = 1:1.02834

Cell Dimensions:

a = 13.654, c = 14.041, Z = 24; V = 2,266.98 Den(Calc)= 3.77

Crystal System:

Trigonal - RhombohedralH-M Symbol ( 3) Space Group: R 3

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 5.44(1), 2.27(0.8), 2.74(0.6),2.76(0.6), 2.78(0.5), 1.71(0.5), 2.9(0.3),

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

Fleet M E , Acta Crystallographica, Section B , 31 (1975) p.183-187, The crystal structure of paratacamite, Cu2(OH)3Cl, Sample: Ordered structure, considered to be the true structure

View Additional jPOWD Structure files for Paratacamite
[1] [2]

Physical Properties of Paratacamite

Cleavage:

{1011} Good

Color:

Greenish black, Dark green.

Density:

3.74

Diaphaneity:

Translucent to Subopaque

Fracture:

Conchoidal - Uneven - Uneven fracture producing small, conchoidal fragments.

Habit:

Encrustations - Forms crust-like aggregates on matrix.

Habit:

Massive - Granular - Common texture observed in granite and other igneous rock.

Habit:

Rhombohedral Crystals - Occurs as well-formed crystals showing rhobohedral crystals.

Hardness:

3 - Calcite

Luster:

Vitreous - Dull

Streak:

light green

Optical Properties of Paratacamite

Dichroism (e):

none.

Dichroism (w):

none.

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= -0.029 (Excellent) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= -0.021 (Excellent) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.2243,KPDmeas= 0.2261,KC= 0.2196
Ncalc = 1.82 - 1.83

Optical Data:

Uniaxial (+), w=1.843, e=1.848, bire=0.0050.

Calculated Properties of Paratacamite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=3.60 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Paratacamite =3.77 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.0063592515
Boson Index = 0.9936407485

Photoelectric:

PE_Paratacamite= 28.34 barns/electron
U=PE_Paratacamite x rElectron Density= 102.10 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

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

Paratacamite Classification

Dana Class:

10.01.02.01 (10)Oxyhalides and Hydroxyhalides

(10.01)where (A)2 (O,OH)3 Xq

(10.01.02)Paratacamite Group

10.01.02.01 Paratacamite (Cu,Zn)2(OH)3Cl R 3 3

10.01.02.02 Clinoatacamite! Cu2(OH)3Cl P 2₁/n 2/m

10.01.02.03 Herbertsmithite! Cu3Zn(OH)6Cl2 R 3m 3 2/m

10.01.02.04 Kapellasite! Cu3Zn(OH)6Cl2 P 3m1 3 2/m

Strunz Class:

03.DA.10c 03 - HALIDES

03.D - Oxyhalides, Hydroxyhalides and Related Double Halides

03.DA -With Cu, etc., without Pb

03.DA.10c Paratacamite (Cu,Zn)2(OH)3Cl R 3 3

03.DA.10c Gillardite! Cu3NiCl2(OH)6 R 3m 3

03.DA.10c Herbertsmithite! Cu3Zn(OH)6Cl2 R 3m 3 2/m

03.DA.10c Kapellasite! Cu3Zn(OH)6Cl2 P 3m1 3 2/m

03.DA.10c Haydeeite! Cu3Mg(OH)6Cl2 R 3m 3

Other Paratacamite Information

References:

NAME( Dana8) PHYS. PROP.(AntBidBlaNic3) OPTIC PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Paratacamite :
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
15 - WWW-MINCRYST

Search for Paratacamite using:

[AOL] [Bing] [Dog Pile] [GeoScienceWorld] [HotBot] [Ixquick] [Lycos] [MAMMA] [Scirus] [Teoma] [WebCrawler] [Wikipedia] [YAHOO]

Visit our Advertisers for Paratacamite :

A Bijoux Google Search for Paratacamite
Adam's Minerals Google Search for Paratacamite
Cape Minerals Google Search for Paratacamite
Dakota Matrix Minerals Google Search for Paratacamite
Excalibur Mineral Corp. Google Search for Paratacamite
Exceptional Minerals Google Search for Paratacamite
John Betts Fine Minerals Search for Paratacamite
McDougall Minerals Google Search for Paratacamite
Mineral News Website Link
Rock and Mineral Shows Google Search for Paratacamite
Weinrich Minerals, Inc. Google Search for Paratacamite

Ask about Paratacamite 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 Español

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

Paratacamite

(Cu,Zn)2(OH)3Cl
Dana No: 10.01.02.01 Strunz No: 03.DA.10c
Locality:

Notes: