Ajoite Mineral Data

General Ajoite Information

Chemical Formula:

(K,Na)3Cu20Al3Si29O76(OH)16•~8(H2O)

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 3,926.74 gm

Potassium 2.24 % K 2.70 % K₂O

Sodium 1.02 % Na 1.38 % Na₂O

Aluminum 2.06 % Al 3.89 % Al₂O₃

Copper 32.37 % Cu 40.51 % CuO

Silicon 20.74 % Si 44.37 % SiO₂

Hydrogen 0.82 % H 7.34 % H₂O

Oxygen 40.74 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.20 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

K_2.25Na_1.75Cu₂₀Al₃Si₂₉O₇₆(OH)₁₆•8(H₂O)

Environment:

Secondary copper mineral.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1958

Locality:

New Cornelia mine, Ajo, Pima County,, Arizona, USA. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named for the locality.

Name Pronunciation:

Ajoite

Ajoite Image

Images:

Ajoite

Comments: Bluish, bladed ajoite crystals.
Location: New Cornelia mine, Ajo, Pima County, Arizona, USA. Scale: Size Not Given.
© Lou Perloff / Photo Atlas of Minerals

Images:

Ajoite Shattuckite

Comments: Dark blue, tabular crystals of shattuckite on light blue ajoite.
Location: New Cornelia mine, Ajo, Pima County, Arizona, USA. Scale: Not Given.
© Lou Perloff / Photo Atlas of Minerals

Images:

Ajoite

Comments: Aqua blue, long bladed crystals or ajoite on matrix.
Location: New Cornelia mine, Pima Co., Arizona, USA. Scale: Crystal size 0.75 mm.
© Tom Loomis / Dakota Matrix

Ajoite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =0.9961:1:1.061

Cell Dimensions:

a = 13.634, b = 13.687, c = 14.522, Z = 1; alpha = 110.83°, beta = 107.21°, gamma = 105.68° V = 2,329.37 Den(Calc)= 2.80

Crystal System:

Triclinic - PinacoidalH-M Symbol ( 1) Space Group: P1

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 12.4(1), 3.34(0.25), 6.19(0.09),

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

Pluth J J , Smith J V , Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America , 99 (2002) p.11002-11005, Arizona porphyry copper/hydrothermal deposits II:, Crystal structure of ajoite, (K+Na)3Cu20Al3Si29O76(OH)16*~8H2O

Physical Properties of Ajoite

Cleavage:

{010} Perfect

Color:

Blue green.

Density:

2.96

Diaphaneity:

Translucent

Habit:

Lath - Shaped like a small, thin plaster lath, tabular (rectangular) in shape.

Habit:

Massive - Uniformly indistinguishable crystals forming large masses.

Habit:

Platy - Sheet forms (e.g. micas).

Luster:

Vitreous (Glassy)

Streak:

greenish white

Optical Properties of Ajoite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= 0.01 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= 0.014 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.1993,KPDmeas= 0.2,KC= 0.2021
Ncalc = 1.6

Optical Data:

Biaxial (+), a=1.55, b=1.585, g=1.641, bire=0.0910, 2V(Calc)=80, 2V(Meas)=68-80.

Pleochroism (x):

very light bluish green.

Pleochroism (y):

brilliant bluish green.

Pleochroism (z):

brilliant bluish green.

Calculated Properties of Ajoite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=2.89 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Ajoite =2.96 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.0098859471
Boson Index = 0.9901140529

Photoelectric:

PE_Ajoite= 15.08 barns/electron
U=PE_Ajoite x r_electron= 43.63 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 31.60 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Concentration of Ajoite per GRapi unit = 3.16 (%)

Estimated Radioactivity from Ajoite - barely detectable

Ajoite Classification

Dana Class:

78.05.01.01 (78)Unclassified silicates

(78.05)possible phyllosilicates

(78.05.01)Dana Group

78.05.01.01 Ajoite (K,Na)3Cu20Al3Si29O76(OH)16•~8(H2O) P1 1

Strunz Class:

09.EA.70 09 - SILICATES (Germanates)

09.E - Phyllosilicates

09.EA -Single nets of tetrahedra with 4-, 5-, (6-), and 8-membered rings

09.EA.70 Ajoite (K,Na)3Cu20Al3Si29O76(OH)16•~8(H2O) P1 1

Other Ajoite Information

References:

NAME( Dana8) PHYS. PROP.(Dana8, AmMin v 88, p 1629) OPTIC PROP.(Dana8)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Ajoite :
1 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
2 - Amethyst Galleries' Mineral Gallery
3 - Athena
4 - EUROmin Project
5 - Ecole des Mines de Paris
6 - GeoScienceWorld
7 - Google Images
8 - Google Scholar
9 - Handbook of Mineralogy (MinSocAm)
10 - Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA)
11 - MinDAT
12 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
13 - Online Mineral Museum
14 - QUT Mineral Atlas
15 - Ruff.Info

Search for Ajoite using:

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

Visit our Advertisers for Ajoite :

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

Ask about Ajoite 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 Ajoite Specimen Label here :

Ajoite

(K,Na)3Cu20Al3Si29O76(OH)16•~8(H2O)
Dana No: 78.05.01.01 Strunz No: 09.EA.70
Locality:

Notes: