Mixite Mineral Data

General Mixite Information

Chemical Formula: BiCu6(AsO4)3(OH)6•3(H2O) Composition: Molecular Weight = 1,163.10 gm    Copper    32.78 %  Cu   41.03 % CuO    Bismuth   17.97 %  Bi   20.03 % Bi₂O₃    Arsenic   19.32 %  As   29.64 % As₂O₅    Hydrogen   1.04 %  H     9.29 % H₂O    Oxygen    28.89 %  O             ______        ______              100.00 %      100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE Empirical Formula: BiCu₆(AsO₄)₃(OH)₆•3(H₂O) Environment: Secondary mineral in bismuth-bearing ores. IMA Status: Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1880 Locality: Jáchymov (St Joachimsthal), Krusne Hory (Erzgebirge), Západoceský Kraj, Bohemia, Czech Republic Link to MinDat.org Location Data. Name Origin: Named after the mining engineer, A. Mixa from Jachymov, Czechoslovakia. Name Pronunciation: Mixite Synonym: ICSD 70117   PDF 13-414  

Mixite Image

Images:

Mixite Comments: Vuggy quartz matrix with green radial sprays of mixite crystals. Location: Northern Star mine, Tintic district, Utah, USA. Scale: 6 x 5 x 4 cm. © John Veevaert

Mixite Crystallography

Axial Ratios: a:c = 1:0.43286 Cell Dimensions: a = 13.63, c = 5.9, Z = 2; V = 949.24 Den(Calc)= 4.07 Crystal System: Hexagonal - DipyramidalH-M Symbol (6/m) Space Group: P 6₃/m X Ray Diffraction: By Intensity(I/I_o): 12(1), 2.46(0.9), 3.57(0.8), Crystal Structure:

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Miletich R , Zemann J , Nowak M , Physics and Chemistry of Minerals , 24 (1997) p.411-422, Reversible hydration in synthetic mixite, BiCu6(OH)6(AsO4)3.nH2O(n<=3):, hydration kinetics and crystal chemistry, Sample: H20 View Additional jPOWD Structure files for Mixite [1] [2]

 

Physical Properties of Mixite

Color: Blue green, Yellow green, White, Light blue, Light green. Density: 3.8 Fracture: Uneven - Flat surfaces (not cleavage) fractured in an uneven pattern. Habit: Acicular - Occurs as needle-like crystals. Habit: Encrustations - Forms crust-like aggregates on matrix. Habit: Radial - Crystals radiate from a center without producing stellar forms (e.g. stibnite) Hardness: 3.5-4 - Copper Penny-Fluorite Luminescence: Non-fluorescent. Luster: Adamantine Magnetism: Nonmagnetic Streak: pale green  

Optical Properties of Mixite

Dichroism (e): almost colorless. Dichroism (w): fine green. Gladstone-Dale: CI meas= -0.126 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= -0.051 (Good) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.1892,KPDmeas= 0.2026,KC= 0.18
Ncalc = 1.68 - 1.73 Optical Data: Uniaxial (+), w=1.73, e=1.81, bire=0.0800.  

Calculated Properties of Mixite

Electron Density: Bulk Density (Electron Density)=3.75 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Mixite =4.07 gm/cc.
Fermion Index: Fermion Index = 0.0001403978
Boson Index = 0.9998596022 Photoelectric: PE_Mixite = 342.30 barns/electron
U=PE_Mixite x rElectron Density=1,284.05 barns/cc.
Radioactivity: GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Mixite is Not Radioactive  

Mixite Classification

Dana Class: 42.05.01.01 (42)Hydrated Phosphates, etc., Containing Hydroxyl or Halogen   (42.05)where (A)2 (XO4) Zq · x(H2O)   (42.05.01)Mixite group (Arsenate Series)  

42.05.01.01 Mixite BiCu6(AsO4)3(OH)6•3(H2O) P 6₃/m 6/m

 

42.05.01.02 Agardite-(Y) (Y,Ca)Cu6(AsO4)3(OH)6•3(H2O) P 6₃/m 6/m

 

42.05.01.02a Agardite-(La)! (La,Ca)Cu6(AsO4)3(OH)6•3(H2O) P 6₃/m 6/m

 

42.05.01.02b Agardite-(Nd)! (Pb,Nd,Y,La,Ca)Cu6(AsO4)3(OH)6•3(H2O) 6/m

 

42.05.01.02c Agardite-(Dy)! (Dy,La,Ca)Cu6(AsO4)3(OH)6•3(H2O) 6/m

 

42.05.01.02d Agardite-(Ca)! CaCu6(AsO4)3(OH)6•3(H2O) 6/m

 

42.05.01.02e Agardite-(Ce)! (Ce,Ca)Cu6(AsO4)3(OH)6•3(H2O) P 6₃/m 6/m

 

42.05.01.03 Goudeyite (Al,Y)Cu6(AsO4)3(OH)6•3(H2O) Unk Hex

 

42.05.01.04 Zalesiite! (Ca,Y)Cu6[(AsO4)2(AsO3OH)(OH)6]•3(H2O) P 6₃/m 6/m

 

42.05.01.06 Plumboagardite! (Pb,REE,Ca)Cu6(AsO4)3(OH)6•3(H2O) P 6₃/m 6/m

Strunz Class: 08.DL.15 08 - PHOSPHATES, ARSENATES, VANADATES   08.D - Phosphates, etc   08.DL -With large and medium-sized cations, (OH, etc.):RO4 = 2:1  

08.DL.15 Agardite-(Dy)! (Dy,La,Ca)Cu6(AsO4)3(OH)6•3(H2O) 6/m

 

08.DL.15 Agardite-(Ca)! CaCu6(AsO4)3(OH)6•3(H2O) 6/m

 

08.DL.15 Agardite-(Ce)! (Ce,Ca)Cu6(AsO4)3(OH)6•3(H2O) P 6₃/m 6/m

 

08.DL.15 Agardite-(La)! (La,Ca)Cu6(AsO4)3(OH)6•3(H2O) P 6₃/m 6/m

 

08.DL.15 Agardite-(Nd)! (Pb,Nd,Y,La,Ca)Cu6(AsO4)3(OH)6•3(H2O) 6/m

 

08.DL.15 Agardite-(Y) (Y,Ca)Cu6(AsO4)3(OH)6•3(H2O) P 6₃/m 6/m

 

08.DL.15 Goudeyite (Al,Y)Cu6(AsO4)3(OH)6•3(H2O) Unk Hex

 

08.DL.15 Zalesiite! (Ca,Y)Cu6[(AsO4)2(AsO3OH)(OH)6]•3(H2O) P 6₃/m 6/m

 

08.DL.15 Mixite BiCu6(AsO4)3(OH)6•3(H2O) P 6₃/m 6/m

 

08.DL.15 Petersite-(Y) (Y,Ce,Nd,Ca)Cu6(PO4)3(OH)6•3(H2O) P 6₃/m 6/m

 

08.DL.15 Calciopetersite! CaCu6[(PO4)2(PO3OH)(OH)6]•3(H2O) P 6₃/m 6/m

 

08.DL.15 Plumboagardite! (Pb,REE,Ca)Cu6(AsO4)3(OH)6•3(H2O) P 6₃/m 6/m

 

Other Mixite Information

References: NAME( Duda&Rejl90) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(Ford32) See Also: Links to other databases for Mixite :
1 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
2 - Amethyst Galleries' Mineral Gallery
3 - Athena
4 - EUROmin Project
5 - Ecole des Mines de Paris
6 - GeoScienceWorld
7 - Google Images
8 - Google Scholar
9 - Handbook of Mineralogy (MinSocAm)
10 - Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA)
11 - MinDAT
12 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
13 - Online Mineral Museum
14 - QUT Mineral Atlas
15 - Ruff.Info
16 - WWW-MINCRYST
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