May 20 2014
Chalcostibite is a lead-gray mineral, consisting of copper sulfide. The mineral was first identified in Wolfsberg, in the Hartz Mountains in 1847. Its name derives from the Greek words chalkos and stibi, which mean copper and antimony respectively.
Properties of Chalcostibite
The following are the key properties of Chalcostibite:
- Cell Data
- Space Group: Pnam
- a = 6.02
- b = 14.49
- c = 3.79
- Z = 4
- Crystal Data
- Orthorhombic
- Point Group: 2/m 2/m 2/m
- Bladed crystals, to 16cm, flattened || {010}; massive, disseminated and intergrown with other sulfides and sulfosalts
- Twinning: Twin and composition planes {104}
- X-ray Powder Pattern: 3.13 (10), 3.00 (9), 1.762 (5), 2.31 (4), 1.831 (4), 2.12 (3), 1.895 (3)
- Chemical Composition
| Elements |
Content 1 |
Content 2 |
| Cu |
24.72 |
25.48 |
| Sb |
48.45 |
48.81 |
| S |
26.20 |
25.71 |
| Total |
99.37 |
100 |
- Optical Properties
- Pleochroism: Feeble in air, somewhat stronger in oil
- Anisotropism: Observed
- Estimated Properties
| Electron density |
Bulk density (electron density) = 4.48 g/cm3
note: Specific gravity of Chalcostibite = 4.99 g/cm3 |
| Photoelectric |
PEChalcostibite = 173.24 barns/electron
U= PEChalcostibite x ρElectron density = 776.33 barns/cm3 |
| Fermion index |
Fermion index = 0.001
Boson index = 0.998 |
Radioactivity
|
Chalcostibite is not radioactive
|
How to Identify Chalcostibite
Chalcostibite occurs in dark gray, blue-gray, or lead-gray colors. It is non-fluorescent, and has a metallic luster, black streak, and good cleavage. It exhibits brittle fractures, as displayed by glasses and most of the other non-metallic minerals. It can be formed as massive granular or euhedral crystals.
The average density of the mineral is 4.87 g/cm3, and its hardness is 3.5.
Global Distribution
Chalcostibite is distributed in the following places:
- Wolfsberg, in the Harz Mountains, Germany
- Capileira, Sierra Nevada, Granada Province, Spain
- Saint-Pons, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, France
- Saint Gestraudi, near Brixlegg, Tirol, Austria
- Baia Mare and Baia Sprie, Romania
- Tereksai, Kyrgyzstan
- Rar el Anz, Wadi of Cherrat, east of Casablanca, Morocco
- Pulacayo mine, Huanchaca, Bolivia
- Tapi near Tupiza
- Macayan, Philippines
- Mt. Washington copper mine, Vancouver Island, British Columbia
- Porter property, Carbon Hill, Wheaton district, Yukon Territory, Canada
- Moctezuma mine, 12km south of Moctezuma, Sonora, Mexico
Occurrence of Chalcostibite and Useful Mineral Association
Chalcostibite occurs as a combination of sulfosalts and sulfides in hydrothermal veins.
The minerals that are closely associated with chalcostibite include barite, siderite, dadsonite, stannite, andorite, stibnite, tetrahedrite, pyrite, chalcopyrite, and jamesonite.
References