Clinoatacamite Mineral Data

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General Clinoatacamite Information

Chemical Formula:

Cu2(OH)3Cl

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 213.57 gm

Copper 59.51 % Cu 74.49 % CuO

Hydrogen 1.42 % H 12.65 % H₂O

Chlorine 16.60 % Cl 16.60 % Cl

- % Cl -3.75 % -O=Cl₂

Oxygen 22.47 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Cu₂(OH)₃Cl

Environment:

Secondary alteration product of copper ores.

IMA Status:

Approved IMA 1996 (Dana # Added)

Locality:

Chuquicamata, Chile. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

For the relationship to atacamite and paratacamite. Atacamite is named after the Atacam desert province in northern Chile.

Synonym:

ICSD 82485

IMA1993-060

PDF 25-1427

Clinoatacamite Image

Images:

Clinoatacamite

Comments: Green clinoatacamite on halite and anhydrite.
Location: Bernburg, Stassfurt Deposit, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Scale: Picture size 4 mm.
© Thomas Witzke / Abraxas-Verlag

Clinoatacamite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =0.9035:1:1.336

Cell Dimensions:

a = 6.157, b = 6.814, c = 9.104, Z = 4; beta = 99.65° V = 376.54 Den(Calc)= 3.77

Crystal System:

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

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 5.47(1), 2.742(0.7), 2.767(0.6),

Crystal Structure:

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Grice J D , Szymanski J T , Jambor J L , The Canadian Mineralogist , 34 (1996) p.73-78, The crystal structure of clinoatacamite, a new polymorph of Cu2(OH)3Cl

Physical Properties of Clinoatacamite

Cleavage:

{012} Perfect

Color:

Green, Dark greenish black, Greenish blue.

Density:

3.71

Diaphaneity:

Transparent to translucent

Fracture:

Brittle - Generally displayed by glasses and most non-metallic minerals.

Habit:

Crystalline - Fine - Occurs as well-formed fine sized crystals.

Hardness:

3 - Calcite

Luminescence:

Non-fluorescent.

Luster:

Adamantine

Streak:

greenish white

Optical Properties of Clinoatacamite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= -0.036 (Excellent) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= -0.019 (Excellent) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.2263,KPDmeas= 0.23,KC= 0.2221
Ncalc = 1.82 - 1.84

Optical Data:

Biaxial (-), a=1.83, b=1.85, g=1.88, bire=0.0500, 2V(Calc)=80, 2V(Meas)=75. Dispersion strong, r < v.

Calculated Properties of Clinoatacamite

Electron Density:

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

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.0001100017
Boson Index = 0.9998899983

Photoelectric:

PE_{Clinoatacamite}= 27.37 barns/electron
U=PE_{Clinoatacamite} x rElectron Density= 98.57 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

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

Clinoatacamite Classification

Dana Class:

10.01.02.02 (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.10b 03 - HALIDES

03.D - Oxyhalides, Hydroxyhalides and Related Double Halides

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

03.DA.10b Botallackite Cu2Cl(OH)3 P 2₁/m 2/m

03.DA.10b Clinoatacamite! Cu2(OH)3Cl P 2₁/n 2/m

03.DA.10b Belloite! Cu(OH)Cl P 2₁/a 2/m

Other Clinoatacamite Information

References:

NAME( MinRec) PHYS. PROP.(Am.Min.,Vol.81,p1282,1996) OPTIC PROP.(MinRec)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Clinoatacamite :
1 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
2 - Athena
3 - GeoScienceWorld
4 - Google Images
5 - Google Scholar
6 - Handbook of Mineralogy (MinSocAm)
7 - Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA)
8 - MinDAT
9 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
10 - Online Mineral Museum
11 - QUT Mineral Atlas
12 - Ruff.Info
13 - WWW-MINCRYST

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

Clinoatacamite

Cu2(OH)3Cl
Dana No: 10.01.02.02 Strunz No: 03.DA.10b
Locality:

Notes: