Cyanotrichite Mineral Data

General Cyanotrichite Information

Chemical Formula:

Cu4Al2(SO4)(OH)12•2(H2O)

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 644.33 gm

Aluminum 8.38 % Al 15.82 % Al₂O₃

Copper 39.45 % Cu 44.42 % Cu₂O

Hydrogen 2.50 % H 22.37 % H₂O

Sulfur 4.98 % S 12.43 % SO₃

Oxygen 44.70 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 95.03 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Cu₄Al₂(SO₄)(OH)₁₂•2(H₂O)

Environment:

Formed by the oxidation of copper ores together with other minerals of oxidation zones.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1839

Locality:

Moldava Noua (Moldawa, Új Moldova), Banat, Romania. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

From the Greek, kyaneos, "blue" and triches, "hair," hence, blue hair.

Name Pronunciation:

Cyanotrichite + Pronunciation

Synonym:

Lettsomite

Cyanotrichite Image

Images:

Cyanotrichite

Comments: Blue, hairy crystals of cyanotrichite.
Location: Grandview mine, Grand Canyon, Coconino County, Arizona, USA. Scale: Not Given.
© Lou Perloff / Photo Atlas of Minerals

Images:

Cyanotrichite Azurite

Comments: Blue, hairy crystals of cyanotrichite with dark-blue, blocky azurite on a green, malachite matrix.
Location: Maid of Sunshine Mine, Cochise County, Arizona, USA. Scale: See Image.
© Jeff Weissman / Photographic Guide to Mineral Species

Images:

Cyanotrichite

Comments: Blue, acicular sprays of cyanotrichite on a gray matrix.
Location: Maid of Sunshine Mine, Cochise County, Arizona, USA. Scale: See Image.
© Jeff Weissman / Photographic Guide to Mineral Species

Cyanotrichite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =0.8057:1:0.2299

Cell Dimensions:

a = 10.16, b = 12.61, c = 2.9, Z = 1; V = 371.54 Den(Calc)= 2.88

Crystal System:

OrthorhombicSpace Group: Unk

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 10.2(1), 3.88(0.9), 5.26(0.8),5.47(0.5), 2.03(0.4), 2.39(0.4), 3.04(0.4), 3.38(0.4),

Physical Properties of Cyanotrichite

Cleavage:

{???} Good

Color:

Sky blue, Light blue, Dark blue.

Density:

2.74 - 2.95, Average = 2.84

Fracture:

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

Habit:

Acicular - Occurs as needle-like crystals.

Habit:

Druse - Crystal growth in a cavity which results in numerous crystal tipped surfaces.

Habit:

Spherical - Spherical, rounded aggregates.

Hardness:

2 - Gypsum

Luminescence:

Non-fluorescent.

Luster:

Silky

Streak:

pale blue

Optical Properties of Cyanotrichite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= 0.072 (Fair) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= 0.083 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.2153,KPDmeas= 0.2179,KC= 0.2347
Ncalc = 1.64 - 1.69

Optical Data:

Biaxial (+), a=1.588, b=1.617, g=1.655, bire=0.0670, 2V(Calc)=86, 2V(Meas)=82. Dispersion relatively strong.

Pleochroism (x):

none.

Pleochroism (y):

none.

Pleochroism (z):

none.

Calculated Properties of Cyanotrichite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=2.81 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Cyanotrichite =2.85 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.0005915436
Boson Index = 0.9994084564

Photoelectric:

PE_{Cyanotrichite}= 17.46 barns/electron
U=PE_{Cyanotrichite} x rElectron Density= 49.02 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

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

Cyanotrichite Classification

Dana Class:

31.02.01.01 (31)Hydrated Sulfates Containing Hydroxyl or Halogen

(31.02)where (A+ B++)6 (XO4) Zq·x(H2O)

(31.02.01)Dana Group

31.02.01.01 Cyanotrichite Cu4Al2(SO4)(OH)12•2(H2O) Unk Ortho

Strunz Class:

07.DE.10 07 - SULFATES (SELENATES, TELLURATES)

07.D - Sulfates (selenates, etc.) with additional anions, with H2O

07.DE -With only medium-sized cations; unclassified

07.DE.10 Cyanotrichite Cu4Al2(SO4)(OH)12•2(H2O) Unk Ortho

07.DE.10 Carbonatecyanotrichite Cu4Al2(CO3,SO4)(OH)12•2(H2O) Unk Ortho

Other Cyanotrichite Information

References:

NAME( Duda&Rejl90) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(Ford32)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Cyanotrichite :
1 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
2 - Amethyst Galleries' Mineral Gallery
3 - Athena
4 - EUROmin Project
5 - Ecole des Mines de Paris
6 - GeoScienceWorld
7 - Google Images
8 - Google Scholar
9 - Handbook of Mineralogy (MinSocAm)
10 - Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA)
11 - MinDAT
12 - Mineral and Gemstone Kingdom
13 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
14 - Online Mineral Museum
15 - QUT Mineral Atlas
16 - Ruff.Info
17 - YupRocks

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

Cyanotrichite

Cu4Al2(SO4)(OH)12•2(H2O)
Dana No: 31.02.01.01 Strunz No: 07.DE.10
Locality:

Notes: