Herbertsmithite Mineral Data

Herbertsmithite Mineral Data

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General Herbertsmithite Information

Chemical Formula:

Cu3Zn(OH)6Cl2

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 430.25 gm

Zinc 14.59 % Zn 18.16 % ZnO

Copper 44.75 % Cu 56.02 % CuO

Hydrogen 1.39 % H 12.46 % H₂O

Chlorine 17.14 % Cl 17.14 % Cl

- % Cl -3.87 % -O=Cl₂

Oxygen 22.13 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 99.91 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Cu_3.03Zn_0.96(OH)_5.95Cl_2.08

Environment:

On a white quartzite, (2) In limonite gossan with wulfenite crystalsrosasite. (3) On joint surfaces of metamorphosed dolomitic limestone. Related to paratacamite.

IMA Status:

Approved IMA 2003 (Dana # Added)

Locality:

Mina Los Tres Presidentes, Sierra Gorda, Chile (type locality). Also from (2) the Kali Kafi mine, Anarak, Iran and from (3) the Chah Khouni mine, Anarak, Iran Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named for G.F. Herbert Smith (1872-1953), of the British Museum (Natural History), who discovered paratacamite.

Synonym:

IMA2003-041

Herbertsmithite Image

Images:

Herbertsmithite

Comments: Black and white image of dark green herbertsmithite crystals on pale buff matrix. (Mineralogical Magazine, 68:5310.
Location: Mina Los Tres Presidentes, Sierra Gorda, Chile.. Scale: See Image.
© Mineralogical Magazine

Herbertsmithite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:c = 1:2.05955

Cell Dimensions:

a = 6.834, c = 14.075, Z = 3; V = 569.28 Den(Calc)= 3.76

Crystal System:

Trigonal - Hexagonal ScalenohedralH-M Symbol (3 2/m) Space Group: R 3m

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 2.764(1)(113), 5.466(0.55)(101), 2.266(0.36)(204),1.709(0.18)(220), 4.702(0.14)(003), 1.82(0.13)(303), 2.73(0.13)(202), 2.899(0.11),

Physical Properties of Herbertsmithite

Cleavage:

[101] Good

Color:

Dark green, Blue green.

Density:

3.75 - 3.95, Average = 3.85

Diaphaniety:

Transparent

Fracture:

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

Habit:

Aggregates - Made of numerous individual crystals or clusters.

Habit:

Rhombohedral Crystals - Occurs as well-formed crystals showing rhobohedral crystals.

Hardness:

3-3.5 - Calcite-Copper Penny

Luster:

Vitreous - Adamantine

Streak:

green

Optical Properties of Herbertsmithite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= 0.033 (Excellent) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= 0.009 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.2184,KPDmeas= 0.2132,KC= 0.2204

Optical Data:

Uniaxial (-), e=1.817, w=1.825, bire=0.0080.

Calculated Properties of Herbertsmithite

Electron Density:

r_electron=3.59 gm/cc
note: r_{Herbertsmithite}=3.76 gm/cc.

Fermion Index

Fermion Index = 0.00609
Boson Index = 0.99391

Photoelectric:

PE_{Herbertsmithite}= 28.19 barns/electron
U=PE_{Herbertsmithite} x r_electron= 101.29 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)

Herbertsmithite is Not Radioactive

Herbertsmithite Classification

Dana Class:

10.1.2.3 (10)Oxyhalides and Hydroxyhalides

(10.1)where (A)2 (O,OH)3 Xq

(10.1.2)Dana Group

10.1.2.1 Paratacamite (Cu,Zn)2(OH)3Cl R 3 3

10.1.2.2 Clinoatacamite! Cu2(OH)3Cl P 2₁/n 2/m

10.1.2.3 Herbertsmithite ! Cu3Zn(OH)6Cl2 R 3m 3 2/m

Strunz Class:

III/D.01-57 III - Halogenides

III/D - Oxi-halogenides with Mg - Mn - Cu - Zn - Sn

III/D.01 - Atacamite series, Korshunovskite - Anthonyite

III/D.01-10 Korshunovskite Mg2Cl(OH)3·3.5-4(H2O) P1 or P1 Tri

III/D.01-12 Nepskoeite! Mg4Cl(OH)7·6(H2O) Pcmm,Pcm2,Pc2m Ortho

III/D.01-15 Hibbingite (Fe,Mg)2(OH)3Cl Pnam 2/m 2/m 2/m

III/D.01-20 Kempite Mn2Cl(OH)3 Pnam 2/m 2/m 2/m

III/D.01-25 Belloite! Cu(OH)Cl P 2₁/a 2/m

III/D.01-30 Atacamite Cu2Cl(OH)3 Pmcn 2/m 2/m 2/m

III/D.01-40 Clinoatacamite! Cu2(OH)3Cl P 2₁/n 2/m

III/D.01-50 Botallackite Cu2Cl(OH)3 P 2₁/m 2/m

III/D.01-55 Paratacamite (Cu,Zn)2(OH)3Cl R 3 3

III/D.01-57 Herbertsmithite Cu3Zn(OH)6Cl2 R 3m 3 2/m

III/D.01-60 Melanothallite Cu2OCl2 F ddd 2/m 2/m 2/m

III/D.01-65 Bobkingite! Cu5Cl2(OH)8(H2O)2 C 2/m 2/m

III/D.01-70 Calumetite Cu(OH,Cl)2·2(H2O) Unk Ortho

III/D.01-80 Anthonyite Cu(OH,Cl)2·3(H2O) Unk. Mono

Other Herbertsmithite Information

References:

NAME( CanMin, 42:1909) PHYS. PROP.(CanMin, 42:1909) OPTIC PROP.(CanMin, 42:1909)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Herbertsmithite :
1 -Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database 2 -Athena 3 -Google Images 4 -Google Scholar 5 -MinDAT 6 -MinMax(Deutsch) 7 -MinMax(English) 8 -Mineralienatlas (Deutsch) 9 -QUT Mineral Atlas

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Herbertsmithite

Cu3Zn(OH)6Cl2
Dana No: 10.1.2.3 Strunz No: III/D.01-57
Locality:

Notes: