Spy copy

Spy copy
General and classification
other names	IMA 1978-023
chemical formula	Cu 39 S 28
Mineral class; (and possibly department)	Sulfides and sulfosalts
System no. to Strunz ; and to Dana	2.CA.05c ; 02.04.07.07
Crystallographic Data
Crystal system	hexagonal
Crystal class ; symbol	ditrigonal-pyramidal; 3 m , trigonal trapezoidal; 32 or ditrigonal-scalenohedral; 3 2 / m
Space group	P 3 m 1 (No. 156) , P 321 (No. 150) or P 3 1 m (No. 162)
Lattice parameters	a = 22.962 Å ; c = 41.429 Å
Formula units	Z = 18
Physical Properties
Mohs hardness	Please complete
Density (g / cm 3 )	5.13
Cleavage	Please complete
colour	blue
Line color	Please complete
transparency	opaque
shine	metallic
Crystal optics
Pleochroism	blue to blue-white

Spionkopite is a rare mineral from the mineral class of sulfides and sulfosalts . It crystallizes in the hexagonal crystal system with the chemical formula Cu ₃₉ S ₂₈ and forms massive mineral aggregates of blue color.

Etymology and history

Spionkopit was founded in 1980 by RJ Goble on Spionkop Creek in the southwest of the Canadian province of Alberta found. He named it after the place where it was found. The type locality of the very similar Yarrovite is located near the site . Before the discovery in Canada, blue covellin was known, which was first synthesized in 1959 by G. Frenzel. However, this was not a single material, but both Spionkopit and Yarrowit.

classification

Since the Spionkopit was only recognized as an independent mineral in 1978, it is not yet listed in the 8th edition of the mineral classification according to Strunz , which has been outdated since 1977 . Only in the Lapis mineral directory , which was revised and updated in 2018 by Stefan Weiß, which is still based on this classic system from Karl Hugo Strunz out of consideration for private collectors and institutional collections , the mineral received the system and mineral number. II / B.01-70 . In the "Lapis system" this corresponds to the class of "sulfides and sulfosalts" and there the department "sulfides, selenides and tellurides with the molar ratio metal: S, Se, Te> 1: 1", where spionkopite together with anilite , chalcosine , Digenit , Djurleit , Geerit , Roxbyit and Yarrowit form the group of "copper sulfides".

The 9th edition of Strunz's mineral systematics, valid since 2001 and updated by the International Mineralogical Association (IMA) until 2009, classifies the Spionkopit in the department of "Metal sulfides, M: S = 1: 1 (and similar)". This is further subdivided according to the predominant metals in the compound, so that the mineral can be found according to its composition in the sub-section "with copper (Cu)", where it forms the unnamed group 2.CA.05c as the only member .

The systematics of minerals according to Dana , which is mainly used in the English-speaking world , assigns the spy copite to the class of "sulphides and sulphosalts" and there in the category of "sulphide minerals". Here it is in the " chalcosine group (formula: Cu _2-x S) " with the system no. 04/02/07 within the subsection "Sulphides - including selenides and tellurides - with the composition A _m B _n X _p , with (m + n): p = 2: 1".

Crystal structure

Spionkopite crystallizes in the hexagonal crystal system with the space group P 3 m 1 (space group no.156) , P 321 ( no.150 ) or P 3 1 m ( no.162 ) , the lattice parameters a = 22.962 Å and c = 41.429 Å, as well as 18 formula units per unit cell . Template: room group / 156Template: room group / 150Template: room group / 162

Modifications and varieties

Spionkopit, along with chalcosin, djurleit, anilith and yarrowit, is a mixed crystal series with different stoichiometric ratios of copper and sulfur that forms at low temperatures (<100 ° C) .

Education and Locations

Since spioncopite is metastable , it only forms under special conditions at low temperatures, when the formation of the stable phases anilite and chalcosine are kinetically inhibited, through weathering of other copper sulfides. It is depending on the location with Anilith, djurleite, Yarrowit and Tennantit or Geerit , chalcopyrite , Kobaltpentlandit , magnetite , chromite , Andradit , chlorite and diopside associated .

In addition to the type locality and other places in Canada, Spionkopit has been in Graz and Köflach in Austria , the Black Forest , Spessart , Hunsrück , Harz and the Mansfeld Basin in Germany , Saint-Luc and Tujetsch in Switzerland , Valcheta in Argentina , Mount Keith in Australia , Kolwezi in the Democratic Republic of the Congo , Lamia in Greece , Bogor on the Indonesian island of Java , Ardakan in Iran , Killarney in Ireland , Sondrio and am Pfitscher Joch in Italy , Filipstad in Sweden , Stanton under Bardon , Nuneaton , Llandudno , Amlwch and Wethel in the United Kingdom, as well as the US states of Arizona , Colorado , Nevada , New York, and Virginia .

literature

Spy copite . In: John W. Anthony, Richard A. Bideaux, Kenneth W. Bladh, Monte C. Nichols (Eds.): Handbook of Mineralogy, Mineralogical Society of America . 2001 (English, handbookofmineralogy.org [PDF; 63 kB ; accessed on November 16, 2019]).

Web links

Mineral Atlas: Spionkopit (wiki)
Spy copite. In: mindat.org. Hudson Institute of Mineralogy, accessed November 16, 2019 .

Individual evidence

↑ Malcolm Back, William D. Birch, Michel Blondieau and others: The New IMA List of Minerals - A Work in Progress - Updated: September 2019. (PDF; 2672 kB) In: cnmnc.main.jp. IMA / CNMNC, Marco Pasero, September 2019, accessed November 16, 2019 .
↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d RJ Goble: Copper sulfides from Alberta: Yarrowite, Cu ₈ S ₉ , and, Spionkopite Cu ₃₉ S ₂₈ . In: The Canadian Mineralogist . tape 18 , 1980, pp. 511-518 (English, minsocam.org [PDF; 873 kB ; accessed on November 16, 2019]).
^ A. Putnis, J. Grace, WE Cameron: Blaubender covellite and its relationship to normal covellite . In: Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology . tape 60 , 1977, pp. 209-217 , doi : 10.1007 / BF00372282 (English).
↑ Stefan Weiß: The large Lapis mineral directory. All minerals from A - Z and their properties. Status 03/2018 . 7th, completely revised and supplemented edition. Weise, Munich 2018, ISBN 978-3-921656-83-9 .
↑ Ernest H. Nickel, Monte C. Nichols: IMA / CNMNC List of Minerals 2009. (PDF; 1703 kB) In: cnmnc.main.jp. IMA / CNMNC, January 2009, accessed November 16, 2019 .
^ ^A ^b Hubert Lloyd Barnes: Geochemistry of hydrothermal ore deposits . 3. Edition. tape 1 . John Wiley and Sons, 1997, ISBN 0-471-57144-X , pp. 390–392 (English, limited preview in Google Book Search [accessed November 16, 2019]).
↑ Find location list for Spionkopite at the Mineralienatlas and at Mindat , accessed on November 16, 2019.

[IMA-Liste-2019-09-1] Malcolm Back, William D. Birch, Michel Blondieau and others: The New IMA List of Minerals - A Work in Progress - Updated: September 2019. (PDF; 2672 kB) In: cnmnc.main.jp. IMA / CNMNC, Marco Pasero, September 2019, accessed November 16, 2019 .

[Goble-2] RJ Goble: Copper sulfides from Alberta: Yarrowite, Cu ₈ S ₉ , and, Spionkopite Cu ₃₉ S ₂₈ . In: The Canadian Mineralogist . tape 18 , 1980, pp. 511-518 (English, minsocam.org [PDF; 873 kB ; accessed on November 16, 2019]).

[PutnisGraceCameron-3] A. Putnis, J. Grace, WE Cameron: Blaubender covellite and its relationship to normal covellite . In: Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology . tape 60 , 1977, pp. 209-217 , doi : 10.1007 / BF00372282 (English).

[Lapis-4] Stefan Weiß: The large Lapis mineral directory. All minerals from A - Z and their properties. Status 03/2018 . 7th, completely revised and supplemented edition. Weise, Munich 2018, ISBN 978-3-921656-83-9 .

[IMA-Liste-2009-5] Ernest H. Nickel, Monte C. Nichols: IMA / CNMNC List of Minerals 2009. (PDF; 1703 kB) In: cnmnc.main.jp. IMA / CNMNC, January 2009, accessed November 16, 2019 .

[Barnes-6] A ^b Hubert Lloyd Barnes: Geochemistry of hydrothermal ore deposits . 3. Edition. tape 1 . John Wiley and Sons, 1997, ISBN 0-471-57144-X , pp. 390–392 (English, limited preview in Google Book Search [accessed November 16, 2019]).

[Fundorte-7] Find location list for Spionkopite at the Mineralienatlas and at Mindat , accessed on November 16, 2019.