Sinnerite Mineral Data

Sinnerite Mineral Data +

General Sinnerite Information

Chemical Formula:

Cu6As4S9

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 969.56 gm

Copper 39.32 % Cu

Arsenic 30.91 % As

Sulfur 29.77 % S

______

100.00 %

Empirical Formula:

Cu₆As₄S₉

Environment:

On sulfides in crystalline dolomite.

IMA Status:

Approved IMA 1964

Locality:

Lengenbach quarry, Binntal, Valais, Switzerland. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named for Rudolph von Sinner (1890-1960), President of the Commission of the Natural History Museum, Bern, Switzerland.

Synonym:

ICSD 66660

PDF 25-264

Sinnerite Image

Images:

Sinnerite

Comments: Blackish-grey aggregate of sinnerite crystals with red realgar on white dolomite.
Location: Lengenbach quarry, Binntal, Valais, Switzerland. Scale: Picture high 6 mm.
© Walter Gabriel

Sinnerite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =0.9216:1:0.9237

Cell Dimensions:

a = 9.06, b = 9.83, c = 9.08, Z = 2; alpha = 90°, beta = 109.5°, gamma = 107.8° V = 725.79 Den(Calc)= 4.44

Crystal System:

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

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 3.024(1), 1.852(0.8), 1.581(0.7),

Crystal Structure:

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drag1 - LMB Manipulate Structure
drag2 - RMB Resize/Rotate
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S - Stereo Pair on/off
H - Help Screen
I - Data Info
A - Atoms On/Off
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Makovicky E , Skinner B J , American Mineralogist , 60 (1975) p.998-1012, Studies of the sulfosalts of copper. IV. Structure and twinning of sinnerite,, Cu6As4S9

Physical Properties of Sinnerite

Cleavage:

[???] Indistinct

Color:

Steel gray.

Density:

5.2

Diaphaniety:

Opaque

Fracture:

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

Habit:

Columnar - Forms columns

Habit:

Twinning Common - Crystals are usually twinned.

Hardness:

5 - Apatite

Luster:

Metallic

Streak:

grayish black

Calculated Properties of Sinnerite

Electron Density:

r_electron=4.12 gm/cc
note: r_Sinnerite=4.44 gm/cc.

Fermion Index

Fermion Index = 0.00223
Boson Index = 0.99777

Photoelectric:

PE_Sinnerite= 40.98 barns/electron
U=PE_Sinnerite x r_electron= 168.92 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)

Sinnerite is Not Radioactive

Sinnerite Classification

Dana Class:

3.6.14.1 (3)Sulfides - Sulfosalts

(3.6)where 2 < z/y < 2.49 - (A+)i (A++)j [By Cz], A=metals, B=semi-metals, C=non-metals

(3.6.14)Dana Group

3.6.14.1 Sinnerite Cu6As4S9 P1 1

Strunz Class:

II/C.12-10 II - Sulfides and sulphosalts

II/C - Sulfides with metal: sulfur, selenium and tellurium = 1:1

II/C.12 - Tetrahedrite group, Watanabeite - Gruzdevite series

II/C.12-05 Watanabeite Cu4(As,Sb)2S5 Unk Ortho

II/C.12-10 Sinnerite Cu6As4S9 P1 1

II/C.12-20 Nowackiite Cu6Zn3As4S12 R 3 3

II/C.12-30 Aktashite Cu6Hg3As4S12 R 3 3

II/C.12-40 Gruzdevite Cu6Hg3Sb4S12 R 3 3

Other Sinnerite Information

References:

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

See Also:

Links to other databases for Sinnerite :
1 -Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database 2 -Athena 3 - EUROmin Project 4 -Google Images 5 -Google Scholar 6 -Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA) 7 -MinDAT 8 -MinMax(Deutsch) 9 -MinMax(English) 10 -Mineralienatlas (Deutsch) 11 -QUT Mineral Atlas 12 - WWW-MINCRYST 13 -École des Mines de Paris

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

Sinnerite

Cu6As4S9
Dana No: 3.6.14.1 Strunz No: II/C.12-10
Locality:

Notes: