Sep 3 2013
Germanite is a rare copper iron germanium sulfide mineral discovered in 1922 from the Tsumeb mine, Tsumeb, Otavi, Namibia. It is a member of the colusite group. It was named after the element germanium in its composition.
Properties of Germanite
The following are the key properties of Germanite:
- Cell Data
- Space Group: F43n
- a = 10.5862(5)
- Z = 2.
- Crystal Data
- Cubic
- Point Group: 43m
- Cubic crystals, rarely to 3 cm; commonly massive, inter-grown with renierite
- X-ray Powder Pattern: 3.054 (100), 1.870 (72), 1.5954 (40), 1.0802 (20), 1.2141 (16), 2.645 (12), 1.3229 (10).
- Chemical Composition
| Elements |
Content 1 |
Content 2 |
Content 3 |
| Cu |
45.5 |
45.06 |
51.76 |
| S |
31.6 |
31.96 |
32.14 |
| Ge |
9.6 |
9.61 |
9.10 |
| Fe |
6.8 |
8.14 |
7.00 |
| As |
3.3 |
2.97 |
- |
| Zn |
1.2 |
1.51 |
- |
| Mo |
0.5 |
0.26 |
- |
| W |
- |
0.33 |
- |
| V |
- |
0.12 |
- |
| Ga |
- |
0.65 |
- |
| Total |
98.5 |
100.21 |
100.00 |
- Estimated Properties
| Electron density |
Bulk density (electron density) = 4.20 g/cm3
note: Specific gravity of Germanite = 4.47 g/cm3 |
| Photoelectric |
PEGermanite = 32.75 barns/electron
U = PEGermanite x ρElectron density= 137.38 barns/cm3 |
| Fermion index |
Fermion index = 0.01
Boson index = 0.99 |
|
Radioactivity
|
Germanite is not radioactive. |
How to Identify Germanite
Germanite is a brown or red gray mineral having a dark gray streak and metallic luster. It is opaque and has an average density of 4.5 g/cm3 and hardness of 3. Its fractures are brittle as displayed by glasses and non-metallic minerals. Germanite generally occurs as granular or euhedral crystals.
Global Distribution
Germanite is distributed in the following places:
- Tsumeb, Namibia
- M’Passa, 150 km west of Brazzaville, Congo Republic
- Kipushi, 28 km southwest of Lubumbashi, Katanga Province, Congo
- Inexco number 1 mine, Jamestown, Boulder Co., Colorado
- Ruby Creek deposit, Brooks Range, near Bornite, Alaska
- Pinar del Rio Province, Cuba
- Radka deposit, Pazardzhik, Bulgaria
- Dastakert, Armenia
- Bor, Serbia
- Bancairoun mine, Alpes-Maritimes, France
- Weisloch, Germany
- Vaygach, Arkhangel’sk, and in the Noril’sk region, western Siberia, Russia
- Vaigach and Sibai deposits, Ural Mountains
- Shakanai mine, Akita Prefecture, Japan.
Occurrence of Germanite and Useful Mineral Association
Germanite occurs in primary Cu–Pb–Zn ores in a dolostone-hosted hydrothermal polymetallic ore deposit. It is closely associated with chalcopyrite, bornite, digenite, sphalerite, galena, enargite, tennantite, pyrite and renierite.
References