Rickardite Mineral Data

General Rickardite Information

Chemical Formula:

Cu7Te5

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 1,082.82 gm

Copper 41.08 % Cu

Tellurium 58.92 % Te

______

100.00 %

Empirical Formula:

Cu₇Te₅

Environment:

A late-stage mineral of low-temperature hydrothermal origin.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1903

Locality:

Good Hope mine, Vulcan, Gunnison Co., Colorado, USA. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named for Thomas Arthur Rickard (1864-1953), mining engineer and Editor of the Engineering and Mining Journal, New York and London.

Name Pronunciation:

Rickardite + Pronunciation

Synonym:

ICSD 24173

PDF 26-1117

Rickardite Image

Images:

Rickardite Cameronite Vulcanite

Comments: Gray metallic massive cameronite showing subconchoidal fracture associated with purple rickardite and bronzy plates of vulcanite in a mass of tellurium, co-type specimen.
Location: Good Hope mine, Vulcan District, Gunnison County, Colorado, USA. Scale: See Image.
© Rruff Database

Rickardite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =0.2012:1:0.6142

Cell Dimensions:

a = 4.0032, b = 19.893, c = 12.22, Z = 4; V = 973.15 Den(Calc)= 7.39

Crystal System:

OrthorhombicSpace Group: Unk

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 2.07(1), 3.36(0.6), 1.988(0.4),2.55(0.4), 1.158(0.3), 1.706(0.2), 2.82(0.2),

Crystal Structure:

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Forman S A , Peacock M A , American Mineralogist , 34 (1949) p.441-451, Crystal structure of rickardite, Cu4-xTe2

Physical Properties of Rickardite

Cleavage:

None

Color:

Violet, Purple red.

Density:

7.54

Diaphaneity:

Opaque

Fracture:

Brittle - Uneven - Very brittle fracture producing uneven fragments.

Habit:

Massive - Uniformly indistinguishable crystals forming large masses.

Hardness:

3.5 - Copper Penny

Luminescence:

Non-fluorescent.

Luster:

Metallic

Magnetism:

Nonmagnetic

Streak:

black

Optical Properties of Rickardite

RL Anisotrophism:

Strong.

RL Pleochroism:

Strong, carmine to violet-gray.

Reflectivity

**Standardized Intensity (100%) Reflection Spectra of Rickardite in Air**
λ	R₁	R₂	∑ R₁(λ)	∑ R₂(λ)
400 nm	29.40	37.40
420 nm	26.80	34.80
440 nm	24.20	32.20
460 nm	21.20	29.10
480 nm	17.80	25.80
500 nm	14.90	22.80
520 nm	13.30	20.30
540 nm	13.00	18.40
560 nm	15.60	18.00
580 nm	20.20	18.40
600 nm	26.50	19.80
620 nm	33.20	21.30
640 nm	39.40	24.80
660 nm	45.00	28.00
680 nm	49.40	31.80
700 nm	53.80	35.60

**Calculated Relative Intensity Colors of Rickardite in Air**
Relative Intensity	0%	50%	100%	150%	200%	250%	300%	350%	400%	450%	480%
R₁
R₂

Calculated Properties of Rickardite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=6.32 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Rickardite =7.39 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.04
Boson Index = 0.96

Photoelectric:

PE_Rickardite= 231.48 barns/electron
U=PE_Rickardite x rElectron Density=1,462.90 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

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

Rickardite Classification

Dana Class:

02.16.15.01 (02)Sulfides - Including Selenides and Tellurides

(02.16)with miscellaneous formulae

(02.16.15)Dana Group

02.16.15.01 Rickardite Cu7Te5 Unk Ortho

02.16.15.02 Oosterboschite (Pd,Cu)7Se3 Unk Ortho

Strunz Class:

02.BA.20a 02 - SULFIDES and SULFOSALTS (sulfides, selenides, tellurides; arsenides, antimonides, bismuthides; sulfarsenites, sulf

02.B - Metal Sulfides, M:S > 1:1 (mainly 2:1)

02.BA -With Cu, Ag, Au

02.BA.20a Rickardite Cu7Te5 Unk Ortho

Other Rickardite Information

References:

NAME( AntBidBlaNic1) PHYS. PROP.(AntBidBlaNic1) OPTIC PROP.(AntBidBlaNic1)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Rickardite :
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
15 - WWW-MINCRYST

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Ask about Rickardite here :
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Print or Cut-and-Paste your Rickardite Specimen Label here :

Rickardite

Cu7Te5
Dana No: 02.16.15.01 Strunz No: 02.BA.20a
Locality:

Notes: