Platinum Mineral Data

Platinum Mineral Data +

General Platinum Information

Chemical Formula:

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 195.08 gm

Platinum 100.00 % Pt

______

100.00 %

Empirical Formula:

Environment:

Mainly in grains and nuggets in alluvial deposits.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1748

Locality:

Most notably from the Urals, Russia and Brazil. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Spanish, platina = "silver."

Synonym:

ICSD 64917

PDF 4-802

Platinum Image

Images:

Platinum Cherepanovite Cooperite

Comments: Creamy-grayish fractured grains of cherepanovite with gray granular cooperite and white massive grains of iridian ruthenian platinum. Polished section in reflected light.
Location: Placer Deposit, Northern Pekul'nei River, Pekul'nei Range, Chukotka (Tchukotka) Okrug, Chukot Peninsula, Far-Eastern Region, Russia. Scale: Picture size 0.12 mm.
© Thomas Witzke / Abraxas-Verlag

Images:

Platinum

Comments: Crystallized platinum nugget.
Location: Russia. Scale: 0.5 x 0.7 cm.
© Fabre Minerals

Images:

Platinum

Comments: Stream-worn, platinum nugget with chromite? Inclusions.
Location: Rio Tinto, San Juan River Basin, Papayan, Cauca, Columbia. Scale: Picture size 1.5 cm.
© Paul M. Schumacher

Platinum Crystallography

Cell Dimensions:

a = 3.9231, Z = 4; V = 60.38 Den(Calc)= 21.46

Crystal System:

Isometric - HexoctahedralH-M Symbol (4/m 3 2/m) Space Group: F m3m

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 2.265(1), 1.962(0.53), 1.1826(0.33),

Crystal Structure:

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Wyckoff R W G , Crystal Structures , 1 (1963) p.7-83, Second edition. Interscience Publishers, New York, New York, Cubic closest packed, ccp, structure

Physical Properties of Platinum

Cleavage:

None

Color:

Whitish steel gray, Steel gray, Dark gray.

Density:

14 - 22, Average = 18

Diaphaniety:

Opaque

Fracture:

Hackly - Jagged, torn surfaces, (e.g. fractured metals).

Habit:

Granular - Generally occurs as anhedral to subhedral crystals in matrix.

Habit:

Nuggets - Irregular lumps produced by stream transport of malleable metals.

Hardness:

4-4.5 - Between Fluorite and Apatite

Luminescence:

Non-fluorescent.

Luster:

Metallic

Magnetism:

Naturally weak

Streak:

grayish white

Optical Properties of Platinum

RL Color:

White.

Reflectivity

**Standardized Intensity (100%) Reflection Spectra of Platinum in Air**
λ	R	∑ R(λ)
400 nm	57.00
420 nm	58.00
440 nm	59.00
460 nm	60.00
480 nm	61.00
500 nm	61.80
520 nm	62.70
540 nm	63.50
560 nm	64.20
580 nm	64.80
600 nm	65.60
620 nm	66.30
640 nm	66.80
660 nm	67.40
680 nm	68.00
700 nm	68.50

**Calculated Relative Intensity Colors of Platinum in Air**
Relative Intensity	0%	20%	40%	60%	80%	100%	120%	140%	150%
R

Calculated Properties of Platinum

Electron Density:

r_electron=17.2 gm/cc
note: r_Platinum=21.5 gm/cc.

Fermion Index

Fermion Index = 0.338
Boson Index = 0.662

Photoelectric:

PE_Platinum=1,619.87 barns/electron
U=PE_Platinum x r_electron=27798.55 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)

Platinum is Not Radioactive

Platinum Classification

Dana Class:

1.2.1.1 (1)Native Elements

(1.2)with platinum group metals and alloys

(1.2.1)Platinum group (Space Group Fm3m)

1.2.1.1 Platinum Pt F m3m 4/m 3 2/m

1.2.1.2 Iridium (Ir,Os,Ru,Pt) F m3m 4/m 3 2/m

1.2.1.3 Rhodium (Rh,Pt) F m3m 4/m 3 2/m

1.2.1.4 Palladium Pd,Pt F m3m 4/m 3 2/m

Strunz Class:

I/A.14-70 I - Elements

I/A - Metallic and intermetallic compounds, Carbides, Nitrides, Phosphides and Silicides

I/A.14 - Platinum series

I/A.14-10 Rhodium (Rh,Pt) F m3m 4/m 3 2/m

I/A.14-20 Palladium Pd,Pt F m3m 4/m 3 2/m

I/A.14-30 Iridium (Ir,Os,Ru,Pt) F m3m 4/m 3 2/m

I/A.14-70 Platinum Pt F m3m 4/m 3 2/m

I/A.14-80 Yixunite! Pt3In P m3m 4/m 3 2/m

I/A.14-85 Damiaoite! PtIn2 F m3m 4/m 3 2/m

I/A.14-90 Hongshiite* PtCu R 3m 3 2/m

I/A.14-100 Skaergaardite! CuPd P m3m 4/m 3 2/m

Other Platinum Information

References:

NAME( Emsley91) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990)

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Platinum

Pt
Dana No: 1.2.1.1 Strunz No: I/A.14-70
Locality:

Notes: