Vulcanite

Vulcanit, chemically Kupfertellurid, is a very rarely occurring mineral from the mineral class of sulfides and sulfosalts. It crystallizes in the orthorhombic crystal system with the chemical composition and CuTe is 0.1 to 1.1 mm, sheet-like or prismatic crystals and solid inclusions of bronze - yellow color.

Etymology and history

The mineral was first in 1961 by E.N. Cameron, E.N. and I.M. Threadgold in the Good Hope Mine near Vulcan in the U.S. state of Colorado found. They named it after the site.

Classification

In the classification by Strunz Vulcanit is counted among the metal sulfides with a ratio of metal to sulfur, selenium or tellurium of 1:1. After the 8th edition thereby forming a separate group. The 9th edition, it forms a separate sub-group of the sulfides of zinc, iron, copper or silver.

In the classification by Dana it forms with its own subset of the sulfides, selenides and tellurides with the composition AmBn Xp, with (m n): p = 1:1.

Education and Locations

Vulcanit forms along with other telluride ores. It is associated with Rickardit, tellurium, and petzite sylvanite.

From the very rare mineral only seven localities (as of July 2010) are known. In addition to the type locality was found Vulcanit still on the Greek island of Tinos, Iriki on the Japanese island of Kyushu, Kautokeino in Norway, the provincial Medina in Saudi Arabia and the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia.

Crystal structure

Vulcanit crystallizes in the orthorhombic crystal system, space group Pmnm ( Raumgruppen-Nr. 59) with the lattice parameters a = 4.09 Å, b = 6.95 Å and c = 3.15 Å and two formula units per unit cell.