Tenorite - Occurrence, Properties, and Distribution

Tenorite is a copper oxide mineral first discovered from Vesuvio, Napoli, Campania, Italy in 1841. It was named after the Italian botanist, M. Tenor.

Properties of Tenorite

The following are the key properties of Tenorite:

• Cell Data
  • Space Group: C2/c
  • a = 4.6837(5)
  • b = 3.4226(5)
  • c = 5.1288(6)
  • β = 99.54(1)°
  • Z = 4.
• Crystal Data
  • Monoclinic
  • Point Group: 2/m
  • Lathlike crystals, flattened on [100], elongated along [011], to 2 mm; curved, scaly, dendritic; commonly pulverulent, earthy, massive.
  • Twinning: On {011}, contact plane, common, forming stellate groups; lamellar
  • X-ray Powder Pattern: 2.523 (100), 2.323 (96), 2.530 (49), 2.312 (30), 1.866 (25), 1.505 (20), 1.375 (19).
• Chemical Composition

  Elements	Content
  Cu	79.89
  O	20.11
  Total	100

• Optical Properties
  • Optical Class: Biaxial
  • Pleochroism: Distinct; light to dark brown
  • Orientation: Y = b; Z ≈ c
  • 2V(meas.) = Large
  • Anisotropism: Strong; blue to gray
  • Bireflectance: Strong.
• Estimated Properties

  Electron density	Bulk density (electron density) = 6.09 g/cm3 note: Specific gravity of Tenorite = 6.55 g/cm3
  Photoelectric	PETenorite = 36.14 barns/electron U = PETenorite x ρElectron density = 220.18 barns/cm3
  Fermion index	Fermion index = 0.00009 Boson index = 0.99
  Radioactivity	Tenorite is not radioactive.

How to Identify Tenorite

Tenorite occurs in black or a steel gray color with a black streak and dull luster. It is opaque, non-magnetic and non-fluorescent. Its fractures are characterized by smooth curved surfaces.

Tenorite forms large uniformly indistinguishable crystals with scaly morphology. The relative hardness of tenorite ranges from 3.5 to 4, and its density is 6.5 g/cm³.

Global Distribution

Tenorite is distributed in the following places:

• Vesuvius, Campania, and Etna, Sicily, Italy
• Gwennap, Redruth, St.Just, England
• Leadhills, Lanarkshire, Scotland
• Rio Tinto, Huelva Province, Spain
• Siegen, Westphalia, Germany
• Daaden, Rhineland-Palatinate
• Neubulach, Black Forest
• Jachymov (Joachimsthal), Czech Republic
• Bogoslovsk and Nizhni Tagil, Ural Mountains, Russia
• Tolbachik fissure volcano, Kamchatka Peninsula
• Copper Harbor, Keweenaw Co., Michigan, USA
• Darwin, Inyo Co.,California
• Bisbee, Cochise Co., Arizona
• Chuquicamata, Antofagasta, Chile
• Tsumeb, Namibia.

Occurrence of Tenorite and Useful Mineral Association

Tenorite occurs in a volcanic sublimate and the oxidized zone of hydrothermal copper deposits. It is closely associated with cotunnite, alkali chlorides, copper chlorides, Fe–Mn oxides, azurite, malachite, chrysocolla, copper and cuprite.

References

• Tenorite – Mindat
• Tenorite Mineral Data – Webmineral
• Tenorite.pdf - Rruff Project Website - University of Arizona