Jun 11 2014
Chabourneite was named after the Chabourneou Glacier, located near the Jas Roux deposit in France, where the mineral was found.
Properties of Chabourneite
The following are the key properties of chabourneite:
- Cell Data
- Space group: P1
- a = 16.346(5)
- b = 42.602(10)
- c = 8.534(3)
- α = 95.86(3)°
- β = 86.91(3)°
- γ = 96.88(3)°
- Z = 1
- Crystal Data
- Triclinic
- Point group: 1
- Rarely in crystals larger than 1mm
- Typically in intimate intergrowths with pierrotite
- X-ray powder pattern: 3.573 (10), 2.135 (9), 2.808 (8), 3.928 (7), 3.358 (7), 2.853 (7), 2.709 (7)
- Chemical Composition
| Elements |
Content 1 |
Content 2 |
| Sb |
32.92 |
31.61 |
| S |
26.05 |
24.82 |
| Tl |
23.87 |
17.88 |
| As |
17.63 |
14.83 |
| Pb |
0.00 |
10.94 |
| Total |
100.47 |
100.08
|
- Optical Properties
- Anisotropism: Strong, in bluish and greenish colors
- R1–R2: (400) 33.8–39.7, (420) 33.5–39.1, (440) 33.2–38.6, (460) 32.8–37.9, (480) 32.3–37.2, (500) 32.0–36.6, (520) 31.7–36.1, (540) 31.4–35.6, (560) 31.1–34.9, (580) 30.7–34.3, (600) 30.3–33.7, (620) 29.7–33.0, (640) 29.1–32.2, (660) 28.5–31.6, (680) 27.9–30.9, (700) 27.3–30.3
- Pleochroism: Weak
- Estimated Properties
| Electron density |
Bulk density (electron density) = 4.51 g/cm3
note: Specific gravity of chabourneite = 5.15 g/cm3 |
| Photoelectric |
PE Chabourneite = 530.46 barns/electron
U = PE Chabourneite x ρ electron density = 2,392.55 barns/cm3 |
| Fermion index |
Fermion index = 0.01
Boson index = 0.99 |
Radioactivity
|
Chabourneite is not radioactive
|
How to Identify Chabourneite
Chabourneite can be identified in the field by its black color. Its opaque form has no cleavage. This mineral has a sub-metallic luster, with brown-red streak. The fracture on this mineral is conchoidal.
The density of chabourneite is 5.1 g/cm3, with a hardness of 3 to 3.5 - between calcite and copper penny.
Global Distribution
Chabourneite is distributed in the following places:
- France - From the Jas Roux deposit, 10km east of Chapelle-en-Valgaudemar, Hautes-Alpes
- Japan - In the Toya mine, Abuta, Hokkaido
Occurrence of Chabourneite and Useful Mineral Association
Chabourneite occurs in a hydrothermal deposit in dolomitic limestones with other As–Tl minerals.
It is often associated with minerals such as pierrotite, parapierrotite, stibnite, pyrite, sphalerite, twinnite, zinkenite, madocite, andorite, smithite, laffittite, routhierite, aktashite, wakabayashilite, realgar, barite, orpiment, and getchellite.
References