Aug 15 2013
Zykaite was discovered in the year 1976 at the Safary mine in Bohemia, Czech Republic. This mineral has been named after Dr. Vaclav Zyka, who is the Director of Institute of Raw Materials, Kutna Hora, Czech Republic. It is chemically related to Bukovskyite. Zykaite belongs to the Sanjuanite-Destinezite group.
Properties of Zykaite
The key physical properties of Zykaite are as below:
- Cell Data
- a= 20.853 (20)
- b= 7.033 (4)
- c=36.991 (23)
- Z = 8.
- Crystal Data
- Orthorhombic.
- Point Group – 2/m.
- Crystals – fine acicular crystals, to 0.02 mm, covering and composing nodules, to 3 cm and as a massive cavity filling.
- X-ray powder pattern: Kank, Czech Republic.
10.4 (10), 10.6 (7), 6.92 (4), 5.610 (4), 3.812 (4), 2.831 (4), 3.516 (3).
- Chemical Composition
| Elements |
Content 1 |
Content 2 |
| SO3 |
8.36 |
7.82 |
| P2O5 |
0.12 |
- |
| AS2O5 |
33.67 |
33.69 |
| Fe2O3 |
30.58 |
31.21 |
| CaO |
0.02 |
- |
| H2O |
26.50 |
27.28 |
| insol |
0.49 |
- |
- Optical Properties
- Semi-transparent
- Lustre – dull
- Color- grayish white with pale yellowish green or brownish tint; colorless in transmitted light
- Optical Class – Biaxial (-).
- Estimated Properties
| Electron density |
Bulk density (electron density) = 2.47 g/cm3
note: Specific gravity of Zykaite = 2.50 g/cm3 |
| Photoelectric |
PEZykaite = 21.10 barns/electron
U = PEZykaite x ρElectron density = 52.16 barns/cm3 |
| Fermion index |
Fermion index = 0.005
Boson index = 0.99 |
| Radioactivity |
GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Zykaite is not radioactive. |
How to Identify Zykaite
The color of zykaite is grayish white with pale yellowish green or brownish tint, it appears colorless in transmitted light. It exhibits a greasy tenacity and is very soft in nature.
Global Distribution
Zykaite is found only in the Safary mine dump located near Kank, Kutna Hora district of the Czech Republic.
Occurrence of Zykaite and Useful Mineral Association
Zykaite occurs as the alteration product of arsenopyrite and pyrite in ancient mine dumps.
Zykaite is associated with minerals like kankite, gypsum, quartz, limonite and scorodite.
References