Tennantite Mineral Data

General Tennantite Information

Chemical Formula: (Cu,Fe)12As4S13 Composition: Molecular Weight = 1,471.40 gm    Iron      3.80 %  Fe    Copper   47.51 %  Cu    Arsenic  20.37 %  As    Sulfur   28.33 %  S            ______             100.00 %  Empirical Formula: Cu₁₁Fe²⁺As₄S₁₃ Environment: Hydrothermal veins and contact metamorphic deposits. IMA Status: Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1819 Locality: Cornwall, England, UK. Link to MinDat.org Location Data. Name Origin: Named after the English chemist, Smithson Tennant (1761-1815). Name Pronunciation: Tennantite + Pronunciation Synonym: Binnite   ICSD 26780   Julianite   PDF 43-1478  

Tennantite Image

Images:

Tennantite   Calcioandyrobertsite-1M Comments: Vein of blue calcioandyrobertsite in massive dark gray tennantite. The vein of calcioandyrobertsite extends for 0.8cm. Location: Tsumeb Mine, Tsumeb, Namibia. Scale: Specimen size 1.1 x 0.5 cm. © John Veevaert

Images:

Tennantite Comments: Crystals of dark gray tennantite on white quartz. Location: Concepcion del Oro, Zacatecas, Mexico. Scale: 6 x 5.5 cm. © Fabre Minerals

Images: Images:

Tennantite Comments: Micro-quartz coated, dark gray tennantite on quartz. Former Sussman Tsumeb specimen. Location: Tsumeb, Namibia. Scale: Crystal size 5 cm. © John Schneider

Tennantite Crystallography

Cell Dimensions: a = 10.186, Z = 2; V = 1,056.84 Den(Calc)= 4.62 Crystal System: Isometric - HextetrahedralH-M Symbol (4 3m) Space Group: I 43m X Ray Diffraction: By Intensity(I/I_o): 2.94(1), 1.801(0.8), 1.535(0.5), Forms:

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Forms: ( 2 1 1) ( 1 0 0) ( 1 1 0) Warning: this large pop-up is very compute intensive and may not work well with some computers.

Crystal Structure:

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Makovicky E , Karanovic L , Poleti D , Balic-Zunic T , Paar W H , The Canadian Mineralogist , 43 (2005) p.679-688, Crystal structure of copper-rich unsubstituted tennantite, Cu12.5As4S13, Sample: Cerro Atajo, Catamarco, Argentina View Additional jPOWD Structure files for Tennantite [1] [2]

 

Physical Properties of Tennantite

Cleavage: None Color: Steel gray, Black. Density: 4.6 - 4.7, Average = 4.65 Diaphaneity: Opaque Fracture: Hackly - Jagged, torn surfaces, (e.g. fractured metals). Habit: Disseminated - Occurs in small, distinct particles dispersed in matrix. Habit: Massive - Granular - Common texture observed in granite and other igneous rock. Habit: Massive - Uniformly indistinguishable crystals forming large masses. Hardness: 3.5-4 - Copper Penny-Fluorite Luminescence: Non-fluorescent. Luster: Metallic Magnetism: Nonmagnetic Streak: reddish gray  

Optical Properties of Tennantite

Optical Data: Isotropic, n=2.72. RL Color: Gray, inclining to black to brown to cherry-red. RL Pleochroism: None. Reflectivity Standardized Intensity (100%) Reflection Spectra of Tennantite in Air

λ	R		∑ R(λ)
400 nm	31.40
420 nm	30.60
440 nm	29.80
460 nm	29.20
480 nm	29.00
500 nm	29.00
520 nm	28.80
540 nm	28.50
560 nm	28.00
580 nm	27.30
600 nm	26.40
620 nm	25.60
640 nm	24.80
660 nm	24.20
680 nm	23.80
700 nm	23.40

Calculated Relative Intensity Colors of Tennantite in Air

Relative Intensity	0%	40%	80%	100%	120%	160%	200%	240%	280%	320%	340%
R

 

Calculated Properties of Tennantite

Electron Density: Bulk Density (Electron Density)=4.30 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Tennantite =4.62 gm/cc.
Fermion Index: Fermion Index = 0.0029294543
Boson Index = 0.9970705457 Photoelectric: PE_Tennantite = 38.34 barns/electron
U=PE_Tennantite x rElectron Density= 164.92 barns/cc.
Radioactivity: GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Tennantite is Not Radioactive  

Tennantite Classification

Dana Class: 03.03.06.02 (03)Sulfides - Sulfosalts   (03.03)where 3 < z/y < 4 - (A+)i (A++)j [By Cz], A=metals, B=semi-metals, C=non-metals   (03.03.06)Tetrahedrite Group (Isometric: I-43m)  

03.03.06.01 Tetrahedrite (Cu,Fe)12Sb4S13 I 43m 4 3m

 

03.03.06.02 Tennantite (Cu,Fe)12As4S13 I 43m 4 3m

 

03.03.06.03 Freibergite (Ag,Cu,Fe)12(Sb,As)4S13 I 43m 4 3m

 

03.03.06.04 Hakite (Cu,Hg)3(Sb,As)(Se,S)3 I 43m 4 3m

 

03.03.06.05 Giraudite (Cu,Zn,Ag)12(As,Sb)4(Se,S)13 I 43m 4 3m

 

03.03.06.06 Goldfieldite Cu12(Te,Sb,As)4S13 I 43m 4 3m

 

03.03.06.07 Argentotennantite (Ag,Cu)10(Zn,Fe)2(As,Sb)4S13 I 43m 4 3m

Strunz Class: 02.GB.05 02 - SULFIDES and SULFOSALTS (sulfides, selenides, tellurides; arsenides, antimonides, bismuthides; sulfarsenites, sulf   02.G - Sulfarsenites, sulfantimonites, sulfbismuthites   02.GB -Neso-sulfarsenites, etc  

02.GB.05 Argentotennantite (Ag,Cu)10(Zn,Fe)2(As,Sb)4S13 I 43m 4 3m

 

02.GB.05 Giraudite (Cu,Zn,Ag)12(As,Sb)4(Se,S)13 I 43m 4 3m

 

02.GB.05 Goldfieldite Cu12(Te,Sb,As)4S13 I 43m 4 3m

 

02.GB.05 Freibergite (Ag,Cu,Fe)12(Sb,As)4S13 I 43m 4 3m

 

02.GB.05 Hakite (Cu,Hg)3(Sb,As)(Se,S)3 I 43m 4 3m

 

02.GB.05 Tennantite (Cu,Fe)12As4S13 I 43m 4 3m

 

02.GB.05 Tetrahedrite (Cu,Fe)12Sb4S13 I 43m 4 3m

 

Other Tennantite Information

References: NAME( Duda&Rejl90) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(AntBidBlaNic1) See Also: Links to other databases for Tennantite :
1 - Alkali-Nuts(English)
2 - Alkali-Nuts(Francais)
3 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
4 - Amethyst Galleries' Mineral Gallery
5 - Athena
6 - EUROmin Project
7 - Ecole des Mines de Paris
8 - Franklin Minerals(Dunn)
9 - Franklin Minerals(Palache)
10 - GeoScienceWorld
11 - Google Images
12 - Google Scholar
13 - Handbook of Mineralogy (MinSocAm)
14 - Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA)
15 - HyperPhysics
16 - MinDAT
17 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
18 - Online Mineral Museum
19 - QUT Mineral Atlas
20 - Ruff.Info
21 - Scandinavian mineral gallery
22 - WWW-MINCRYST
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