Potarite Mineral Data

General Potarite Information

Chemical Formula:

PdHg

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 307.01 gm

Mercury 65.34 % Hg

Palladium 34.66 % Pd

______

100.00 %

Empirical Formula:

PdHg

Environment:

Residual mineral found in diamond washings.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1926

Locality:

Potaro River area, Guyana. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named for the locality.

Name Pronunciation:

Potarite

Potarite Image

Images:

Potarite

Comments: BSE probe image showing a composite grain of potarite (PdHg), and a PtNiFeCu alloy in an intertitial site and filling a fracture in a chromite grain (Chr).
Location: Southern Quebec Ophiolite Belt, Thetford Mines ophiolitic complex, Canada. Scale: See Image.
© National Resouces of Canada

Images:

Potarite

Comments: Potarite grains in a geletin capsule.
Location: Potaro River, Kangaruma District, Guyana. Scale: Sample Size 4.1 x 2.2 x 1.9 cm.
© Rob Lavinsky

Potarite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:c = 1:1.22715

Cell Dimensions:

a = 3.02, c = 3.706, Z = 1; V = 33.80 Den(Calc)= 15.08

Crystal System:

Tetragonal - Ditetragonal DipyramidalH-M Symbol (4/m 2/m 2/m) Space Group: P 4/mmm

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 2.34(1), 1.274(0.8), 1.402(0.55),

Crystal Structure:

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Bayliss P , The Canadian Mineralogist , 28 (1990) p.751-755, Revised unit cell dimensions, space group,, and chemical formua of some metallic minerals, Note: cell edges taken from Handbook of Mineralogy

Physical Properties of Potarite

Cleavage:

None

Color:

Silver white.

Density:

14.88

Diaphaneity:

Opaque

Fracture:

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

Habit:

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

Hardness:

3.5 - Copper Penny

Luster:

Metallic

Streak:

metallic

Optical Properties of Potarite

RL Anisotrophism:

Noted on inclusions, brown with an orange tinge..

RL Color:

Cream to creamish white.

Reflectivity

**Standardized Intensity (100%) Reflection Spectra of Potarite in Air**
λ	R	∑ R(λ)
440 nm	57.50
460 nm	58.10
480 nm	58.40
500 nm	59.00
520 nm	60.00
540 nm	61.00
560 nm	61.70
580 nm	62.40
600 nm	63.00
620 nm	63.80
640 nm	64.50
660 nm	65.40
680 nm	66.00
700 nm	66.80

**Calculated Relative Intensity Colors of Potarite in Air**
Relative Intensity	0%	20%	40%	60%	80%	100%	120%	140%	160%
R

Calculated Properties of Potarite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=12.4 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Potarite =15.1 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.27
Boson Index = 0.73

Photoelectric:

PE_Potarite=1,215.00 barns/electron
U=PE_Potarite x rElectron Density=15039.17 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

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

Potarite Classification

Dana Class:

01.02.04.04 (01)Native Elements

(01.02)with platinum group metals and alloys

(01.02.04)Tetraferroplatinum group (Space Group P4/mmm)

01.02.04.01 Tetraferroplatinum PtFe P 4/mmm 4/m 2/m 2/m

01.02.04.02 Tulameenite Pt2FeCu P 4/mm 4/m 2/m 2/m

01.02.04.03 Ferronickelplatinum Pt2FeNi P 4/mmm 4/m 2/m 2/m

01.02.04.04 Potarite PdHg P 4/mmm 4/m 2/m 2/m

Strunz Class:

01.AD.25 01 - ELEMENTS (Metals and intermetallic alloys; metalloids and nonmetals; carbides, silicides, nitrides, phosphides)

01.A - Metals and Intermetallic Alloys

01.AD -Mercury-amalgam family

01.AD.25 Potarite PdHg P 4/mmm 4/m 2/m 2/m

Other Potarite Information

References:

NAME( AntBidBlaNic1) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(AntBidBlaNic1)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Potarite :
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 Potarite here :
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Mindat.org's Discussion Groups
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Print or Cut-and-Paste your Potarite Specimen Label here :

Potarite

PdHg
Dana No: 01.02.04.04 Strunz No: 01.AD.25
Locality:

Notes: