Copiapite Mineral Data

General Copiapite Information

Chemical Formula:

Fe++Fe+++4(SO4)6(OH)2•20(H2O)

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 1,249.94 gm

Iron 22.34 % Fe 5.75 % FeO / 25.55 % Fe₂O₃

Hydrogen 3.39 % H 30.27 % H₂O

Sulfur 15.39 % S 38.43 % SO₃

Oxygen 58.88 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Fe²⁺Fe³⁺₄(SO₄)₆(OH)₂•20(H₂O)

Environment:

Oxidized iron sulfide deposits.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1833

Locality:

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

Name Origin:

Named after its locality.

Name Pronunciation:

Copiapite + Pronunciation

Synonym:

ICSD 10276

Janosite

Misy

PDF 35-583

Copiapite Image

Images:

Copiapite

Comments: Brownish yellow tabular crystals of copiapite.
Location: Saghand, near Yazd, Yadz Province, Iran. Scale: Not Given.
© Lou Perloff / Photo Atlas of Minerals

Images:

Copiapite Rozenite Ferrinatrite

Comments: White powdery rozenite coating with yellow ferrinatrite on purple copiapite.
Location: Le Cetine Mine, Siena, Tuscany, Italy. Scale: See Photo.
© Jeff Weissman / Photographic Guide to Mineral Species

Copiapite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =0.3852:1:0.3933

Cell Dimensions:

a = 7.227, b = 18.76, c = 7.379, Z = 1; alpha = 91.46°, beta = 102.18°, gamma = 98.95° V = 965.69 Den(Calc)= 2.15

Crystal System:

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

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 9.23(1), 18.4(1), 5.57(0.7),

Forms:

Mouse
Dbl Clk - Start-Stop Rotation
RMB - Cycle Display Modes
Drag1 - Manipulate Crystal
Drag2 - Resize
Keyboard
S - Stereo
I - Indicies
<space> - Start-Stop Rotation
F - Fit to Screen
M - Menu
Help on Above

Forms: ( 0 1 2) ( 1 2 0) ( 0 1 0) ( 1 0 1) ( 1 0 1) ( 1 0 0) ( 0 1 1) ( 0 0 1)

Warning: this large pop-up is very compute intensive and may not work well with some computers.

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

Fanfani L , Nunzi A , Zanazzi P F , Zanzari A R , American Mineralogist , 58 (1973) p.314-322, The copiapite problem: The crystal structure of a ferrian copiapite

Physical Properties of Copiapite

Cleavage:

{010} Perfect

Color:

Green, Green yellow, Yellow, Yellow green, Golden yellow.

Density:

2.1

Diaphaneity:

Translucent

Fracture:

Uneven - Flat surfaces (not cleavage) fractured in an uneven pattern.

Habit:

Encrustations - Forms crust-like aggregates on matrix.

Habit:

Massive - Granular - Common texture observed in granite and other igneous rock.

Habit:

Scaly - Morphology like fish scales.

Hardness:

2.5 - Finger Nail

Luminescence:

Non-fluorescent.

Luster:

Pearly

Magnetism:

Magnetic

Streak:

pale yellow

Optical Properties of Copiapite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= 0.002 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= 0.025 (Excellent) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.2557,KPDmeas= 0.2617,KC= 0.2622
Ncalc = 1.55 - 1.56

Optical Data:

Biaxial (+), a=1.506-1.54, b=1.528-1.549, g=1.575-1.6, bire=0.0600-0.0690, 2V(Calc)=48-72, 2V(Meas)=45-74. Dispersion none.

Pleochroism (x):

none.

Pleochroism (y):

none.

Calculated Properties of Copiapite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=2.14 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Copiapite =2.10 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.006178207
Boson Index = 0.993821793

Photoelectric:

PE_Copiapite= 7.42 barns/electron
U=PE_Copiapite x rElectron Density= 15.85 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

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

Copiapite Classification

Dana Class:

31.10.05.01 (31)Hydrated Sulfates Containing Hydroxyl or Halogen

(31.10)miscellaneous

(31.10.05)Copiapite Group

31.10.05.01 Copiapite FeFe4(SO4)6(OH)2•20(H2O) P1 1

31.10.05.02 Magnesiocopiapite MgFe4(SO4)6(OH)2•20(H2O) P1 1

31.10.05.03 Cuprocopiapite CuFe4(SO4)6(OH)2•20(H2O) P1 1

31.10.05.04 Ferricopiapite Fe2/3Fe4(SO4)6(OH)2•20(H2O) P1 1

31.10.05.05 Calciocopiapite CaFe4(SO4)6(OH)2•19(H2O) P1 1

31.10.05.06 Zincocopiapite ZnFe4(SO4)6(OH)2•18(H2O) P1 1

31.10.05.07 Aluminocopiapite Al2/3Fe4(SO4)6O(OH)2•20(H2O) P1 1

Strunz Class:

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

07.D - Sulfates (selenates, etc.) with additional anions, with H2O

07.DB -With only medium-sized cations; insular octahedra and finite groups

07.DB.35 Aluminocopiapite Al2/3Fe4(SO4)6O(OH)2•20(H2O) P1 1

07.DB.35 Copiapite FeFe4(SO4)6(OH)2•20(H2O) P1 1

07.DB.35 Calciocopiapite CaFe4(SO4)6(OH)2•19(H2O) P1 1

07.DB.35 Cuprocopiapite CuFe4(SO4)6(OH)2•20(H2O) P1 1

07.DB.35 Ferricopiapite Fe2/3Fe4(SO4)6(OH)2•20(H2O) P1 1

07.DB.35 Magnesiocopiapite MgFe4(SO4)6(OH)2•20(H2O) P1 1

07.DB.35 Zincocopiapite ZnFe4(SO4)6(OH)2•18(H2O) P1 1

Other Copiapite Information

See Also:

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

Search for Copiapite using:

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

Visit our Advertisers for Copiapite :

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

Ask about Copiapite 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 Copiapite Specimen Label here :

Copiapite

Fe++Fe+++4(SO4)6(OH)2•20(H2O)
Dana No: 31.10.05.01 Strunz No: 07.DB.35
Locality:

Notes: