Nissonite Mineral Data

General Nissonite Information

Chemical Formula:

Cu2Mg2(PO4)2(OH)2•5(H2O)

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 489.74 gm

Magnesium 9.93 % Mg 16.46 % MgO

Copper 25.95 % Cu 32.49 % CuO

Phosphorus 12.65 % P 28.98 % P₂O₅

Hydrogen 2.47 % H 22.07 % H₂O

Oxygen 49.00 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Cu₂Mg₂(PO₄)₂(OH)₂•5(H₂O)

Environment:

Rare mineral in a copper prospect.

IMA Status:

Approved IMA 1966

Locality:

Llanada copper mine, 4 miles NNE of Llanada, San Benito Co., California. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named for William H. Nisson (1912-1965), amateur mineralogist, mineral collector and dealer, of Petaluma, California, USA.

Name Pronunciation:

Nissonite + Pronunciation

Synonym:

ICSD 69386

PDF 40-478

Nissonite Image

Images:

Nissonite

Comments: Pale blue nissonite crusts on rock.
Location: Panoche Valley, San Benito County, California, USA. Scale: See Photo.
© Jeff Weissman / Photographic Guide to Mineral Species

Nissonite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =4.4911:1:2.0949

Cell Dimensions:

a = 22.523, b = 5.015, c = 10.506, Z = 4; beta = 99.62° V = 1,170.00 Den(Calc)= 2.78

Crystal System:

Monoclinic - PrismaticH-M Symbol (2/m) Space Group: C 2/c

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 11.14(1), 2.785(0.25), 4.374(0.21),

Physical Properties of Nissonite

Cleavage:

{100} Distinct

Color:

Bluish green.

Density:

2.73

Hardness:

2.5 - Finger Nail

Streak:

light green

Optical Properties of Nissonite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= -0.031 (Excellent) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= -0.012 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.2188,KPDmeas= 0.2228,KC= 0.2162
Ncalc = 1.59 - 1.6

Optical Data:

Biaxial (-), a=1.584, b=1.62, g=1.621, bire=0.0370, 2V(Calc)=18, 2V(Meas)=19.

Calculated Properties of Nissonite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=2.77 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Nissonite =2.78 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.01
Boson Index = 0.99

Photoelectric:

PE_Nissonite= 11.86 barns/electron
U=PE_Nissonite x rElectron Density= 32.87 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

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

Nissonite Classification

Dana Class:

42.07.05.01 (42)Hydrated Phosphates, etc., Containing Hydroxyl or Halogen

(42.07)where (AB)5 (XO4)3 Zq · x(H2O)

(42.07.05)Dana Group

42.07.05.01 Nissonite Cu2Mg2(PO4)2(OH)2•5(H2O) C 2/c 2/m

Strunz Class:

08.DC.05 08 - PHOSPHATES, ARSENATES, VANADATES

08.D - Phosphates, etc

08.DC -With only medium-sized cations, (OH, etc.):RO4 = 1:1 and < 2:1

08.DC.05 Nissonite Cu2Mg2(PO4)2(OH)2•5(H2O) C 2/c 2/m

Other Nissonite Information

References:

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

See Also:

Links to other databases for Nissonite :
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 Nissonite here :
Ask-A-Mineralogist from the Mineralogical Society of America
Mindat.org's Discussion Groups
Original Rockhounds Discussion Group
Rockhounds Discussion Group on Yahoo Groups
Mineral Discussion Forum from Fabre Minerals - also available in Español

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

Nissonite

Cu2Mg2(PO4)2(OH)2•5(H2O)
Dana No: 42.07.05.01 Strunz No: 08.DC.05
Locality:

Notes: