Bismutite Mineral Data

Bismutite Mineral Data +

General Bismutite Information

Chemical Formula:

Bi2(CO3)O2

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 509.97 gm

Bismuth 81.96 % Bi 91.37 % Bi₂O₃

Carbon 2.36 % C 8.63 % CO₂

Oxygen 15.69 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Bi₂(CO₃)O₂

Environment:

Alteration product of bismuthinite and native bismuth.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1841

Locality:

Schneeberg District, Erzgebirge, Saxony, Germany Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Synonym:

Bismutosparite

Bismutite Image

Images:

Bismutite

Comments: White to green earthy crust of bismutite.
Location: La Higuera, Coquimbo, Chile. Scale: See Photo.
© Jeff Weissman / Photographic Guide to Mineral Species

Bismutite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =1.0007:1:3.5409

Cell Dimensions:

a = 3.865, b = 3.862, c = 13.675, Z = 2; V = 204.12 Den(Calc)= 8.30

Crystal System:

Orthorhombic - PyramidalH-M Symbol (mm2) Space Group: Imm2

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 1.62(1), 2.14(1), 2.95(1),

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

Grice J D , The Canadian Mineralogist , 40 (2002) p.693-698, A solution to the crystal structures of bismutite and beyerite

Physical Properties of Bismutite

Cleavage:

[001] Distinct

Color:

Brown, Brownish yellow, Green, Gray, Yellow.

Density:

Diaphaniety:

Transparent to Translucent

Habit:

Earthy - Dull, clay-like texture with no visible crystalline affinities, (e.g. howlite).

Habit:

Fibrous - Crystals made up of fibers.

Hardness:

4 - Fluorite

Luminescence:

Non-fluorescent.

Luster:

Vitreous - Pearly

Streak:

gray

Optical Properties of Bismutite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= -0.07 (Fair) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= 0.098 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.1426,KPDmeas= 0.169,KC= 0.158

Optical Data:

Biaxial (?), a=2.12-2.15, b=2.12-2.15, g=2.28, bire=0.1300-0.1600

Calculated Properties of Bismutite

Electron Density:

r_electron=5.82 gm/cc
note: r_Bismutite=7.00 gm/cc.

Fermion Index

Fermion Index = 0.00033
Boson Index = 0.99967

Photoelectric:

PE_Bismutite=1,586.42 barns/electron
U=PE_Bismutite x r_electron=9,232.90 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)

Bismutite is Not Radioactive

Bismutite Classification

Dana Class:

16a.3.5.1 (16a)Carbonates - Hydroxyl or Halogen

(16a.3)where (A B)2 (XO3) Zq

(16a.3.5)Dana Group

16a.3.5.1 Bismutite Bi2(CO3)O2 Imm2 mm2

Strunz Class:

V/C.09-20 V - Nitrates, Carbonates and Borates

V/C - Waterfree carbonates with unfamiliar anions

V/C.09 - Phosgenite - Beyerite series

V/C.09-10 Phosgenite Pb2(CO3)Cl2 P 4/mbm 4/m 2/m 2/m

V/C.09-20 Bismutite Bi2(CO3)O2 Imm2 mm2

V/C.09-30 Kettnerite CaBi(CO3)OF Pmmn 2/m 2/m 2/m

V/C.09-40 Beyerite (Ca,Pb)Bi2(CO3)2O2 I mmm 2/m 2/m 2/m

Other Bismutite Information

References:

NAME( Ford32) PHYS. PROP.(AmMin, Vol 88, p 478) OPTIC PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Bismutite :
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

Search for Bismutite using:

[ALTAVISTA] [AOL] [About.com] [All-The-Web] [HotBot] [Ixquick] [LookSmart] [MAMMA] [MSN.COM] [Netscape] [Teoma] [Wikipedia] [YAHOO]

Visit our Advertisers for Bismutite :
AA Mineral Specimens
A-Rocks Auction
Adams Minerals
B and L Minerals
Dakota Matrix
Dan Weinrich Fine Minerals
Dan Weinrich Auctions
e-Rocks Auctions
Excalibur Minerals
Exceptional Minerals
Fabre Minerals
Greenside Minerals
John Betts Fine Minerals
Masons Minerals
Mineral News
Mineral of the Month Club
MineralsWeb Fine Minerals
Minernet.it
Rockshop.cz Kalat Fine Minerals
T G Fine Minerals
Wrights Rock Shop

Translate Bismutite Mineral Data :

Ask about Bismutite 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 Bismutite Specimen Label here :

Bismutite

Bi2(CO3)O2
Dana No: 16a.3.5.1 Strunz No: V/C.09-20
Locality:

Notes: