Boothite Mineral Data

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General Boothite Information

Chemical Formula:

CuSO4•7(H2O)

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 305.54 gm

Magnesium 0.57 % Mg 0.95 % MgO

Manganese 0.18 % Mn 0.23 % MnO

Zinc 7.49 % Zn 9.32 % ZnO

Cobalt 1.16 % Co 1.47 % CoO

Copper 17.89 % Cu 22.39 % CuO

Hydrogen 4.62 % H 41.27 % H₂O

Sulfur 10.49 % S 26.20 % SO₃

Oxygen 57.60 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 101.84 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Cu_0.86Mg_0.077(Zn_0.05)Mn²⁺_0.01Co_0.06(SO₄)•7(H₂O)

Environment:

Secondary mineral in sulfide ores. Ephemeral mineral and virtually impossible to preserve in an artifcial environment.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1903

Locality:

Alma pyrite mine, Leona Heights, Alameda Co. California. Burraga, New South Wales. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named for Edward Booth (1857-1917), American chemist, University of California.

Name Pronunciation:

Boothite

Boothite Image

Images:

Boothite Halotrichite

Comments: Pale blue earthy boothite with white halotrichite.
Location: Copiapo, Atacama, Chile. Scale: See Photo.
© Jeff Weissman / Photographic Guide to Mineral Species

Boothite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =2.1707:1:1.6559

Cell Dimensions:

a = 14.19, b = 6.537, c = 10.825, Z = 4; beta = 106.02° V = 965.13 Den(Calc)= 2.10

Crystal System:

Monoclinic - PrismaticH-M Symbol (2/m) Space Group: P 2₁/c

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 4.89(1)(111), 4.826(0.43)(202), 2.798(0.33)(311),5.358(0.22)(011), 3.269(0.2)(020), 5.378(0.13)(102), 2.73(0.11)(411),

Physical Properties of Boothite

Cleavage:

{001} Indistinct, {001} Distinct

Color:

Blue.

Density:

2.1

Diaphaneity:

Transparent to Translucent

Habit:

Massive - Uniformly indistinguishable crystals forming large masses.

Hardness:

2-2.5 - Gypsum-Finger Nail

Luminescence:

Non-fluorescent.

Luster:

Vitreous - Silky

Magnetism:

Nonmagnetic

Streak:

pale blue

Optical Properties of Boothite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= 0.065 (Fair) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= 0.065 (Fair) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.2286,KPDmeas= 0.2286,KC= 0.2445
Ncalc = 1.51

Optical Data:

Biaxial (-), a=1.47, b=1.48, g=1.49, bire=0.0200

Calculated Properties of Boothite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=2.15 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Boothite =2.10 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.0047143477
Boson Index = 0.9952856523

Photoelectric:

PE_Boothite= 12.06 barns/electron
U=PE_Boothite x rElectron Density= 25.90 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

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

Boothite Classification

Dana Class:

29.06.10.02 (29)Hydrated Acid and Sulfates

(29.06)where A XO4 · x(H2O)

(29.06.10)Melanterite Group (Heptahydrates, Monoclinic: P21/c)

29.06.10.01 Melanterite FeSO4•7(H2O) P 2₁/c 2/m

29.06.10.02 Boothite CuSO4•7(H2O) P 2₁/c 2/m

29.06.10.03 Zincmelanterite (Zn,Cu,Fe)SO4•7(H2O) P 2₁/c 2/m

29.06.10.04 Bieberite CoSO4•7(H2O) P 2₁/c 2/m

29.06.10.05 Mallardite MnSO4•7(H2O) P 2₁/c 2/m

29.06.10.06 Alpersite! (Mg,Cu)SO4•7H2O P 2₁/c 2/m

Strunz Class:

07.CB.35 07 - SULFATES (SELENATES, TELLURATES)

07.C - Sulfates (selenates, etc.) without Additional Anions, with H2O

07.CB -With only medium-sized cations

07.CB.35 Bieberite CoSO4•7(H2O) P 2₁/c 2/m

07.CB.35 Boothite CuSO4•7(H2O) P 2₁/c 2/m

07.CB.35 Mallardite MnSO4•7(H2O) P 2₁/c 2/m

07.CB.35 Melanterite FeSO4•7(H2O) P 2₁/c 2/m

07.CB.35 Zincmelanterite (Zn,Cu,Fe)SO4•7(H2O) P 2₁/c 2/m

07.CB.35 Alpersite! (Mg,Cu)SO4•7H2O P 2₁/c 2/m

Other Boothite Information

References:

NAME( MinRec) PHYS. PROP.(Dana, AmMin 90:771) OPTIC PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Boothite :
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

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Ask about Boothite here :
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Mindat.org's Discussion Groups
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Rockhounds Discussion Group on Yahoo Groups
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Print or Cut-and-Paste your Boothite Specimen Label here :

Boothite

CuSO4•7(H2O)
Dana No: 29.06.10.02 Strunz No: 07.CB.35
Locality:

Notes: