Plancheite Mineral Data

Plancheite Mineral Data +

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General Plancheite Information

Chemical Formula:

Cu8Si8O22(OH)4·(H2O)

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 1,171.08 gm

Copper 43.41 % Cu 54.34 % CuO

Silicon 19.19 % Si 41.05 % SiO₂

Hydrogen 0.52 % H 4.61 % H₂O

Oxygen 36.89 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Cu₈Si₈O₂₂(OH)₄·(H₂O)

Environment:

Secondary mineral in the oxidized zones of copper deposits.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1908

Locality:

Tantara and Kambowe, Zaire. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named after J. Planche who brought it from Africa.

Synonym:

Bisbeeite

ICSD 100073

PDF 29-576

Plancheite Image

Images:

Plancheite

Comments: Open vug lined with individual plancheite crystals to 3mm.
Location: Mashamba West Mine, Shaba, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Scale: 2.5 x 1.7 cm.
© John Veevaert

Plancheite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =0.946:1:0.2617

Cell Dimensions:

a = 19.043, b = 20.129, c = 5.269, Z = 4; V = 2,019.69 Den(Calc)= 3.85

Crystal System:

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

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 4.43(1), 3.32(0.7), 3.5(0.7),

Crystal Structure:

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Evans H T , Mrose M E , American Mineralogist , 62 (1977) p.491-502, The crystal chemistry of the hydrous copper silicates, shattuckite and, plancheite, Note: sample is from Rioja, Argentina

Physical Properties of Plancheite

Color:

Blue, Greenish blue.

Density:

3.6 - 3.8, Average = 3.7

Diaphaniety:

Translucent

Fracture:

Unknown - Minerals too small to observe fractures.

Habit:

Acicular - Occurs as needle-like crystals.

Habit:

Fibrous - Crystals made up of fibers.

Habit:

Radial - Crystals radiate from a center without producing stellar forms (e.g. stibnite)

Hardness:

5.5 - Knife Blade

Luminescence:

None.

Luster:

Adamantine - Silky

Magnetism:

Nonmagnetic

Streak:

light blue

Optical Properties of Plancheite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= 0.059 (Fair) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= 0.096 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.1749,KPDmeas= 0.182,KC= 0.1934

Optical Data:

Biaxial (+), a=1.645, b=1.66, g=1.715, bire=0.0700

Pleochroism (x):

colorless.

Pleochroism (y):

colorless.

Pleochroism (z):

blue.

Calculated Properties of Plancheite

Electron Density:

r_electron=3.58 gm/cc
note: r_Plancheite=3.70 gm/cc.

Fermion Index

Fermion Index = 0.00913
Boson Index = 0.99087

Photoelectric:

PE_Plancheite= 19.68 barns/electron
U=PE_Plancheite x r_electron= 70.38 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)

Plancheite is Not Radioactive

Plancheite Classification

Dana Class:

66.2.1.1 (66)Inosilicate Double-Width Unbranched Chains, W=2

(66.2)with P=2 non-amphibole configuration

(66.2.1)Dana Group

66.2.1.1 Plancheite Cu8Si8O22(OH)4·(H2O) Pcnb 2/m 2/m 2/m

66.2.1.2 Bigcreekite! BaSi2O5·4(H2O) P nma 2/m 2/m 2/m

Strunz Class:

VIII/F.05-10 VIII - Silicates

VIII/F - Inosilicates (chain and band) double chains [Si2O6]4-

VIII/F.05 - Plancheite series

VIII/F.05-10 Plancheite Cu8Si8O22(OH)4·(H2O) Pcnb 2/m 2/m 2/m

Other Plancheite Information

References:

NAME( Duda&Rejl90) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(Ford32)

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

Plancheite

Cu8Si8O22(OH)4·(H2O)
Dana No: 66.2.1.1 Strunz No: VIII/F.05-10
Locality:

Notes: