Moolooite
- IMA 1980-082
Moolooit is a very rarely occurring mineral from the mineral class of " organic compounds ". It crystallizes in the orthorhombic crystal system with the composition of Cu 2 ( C2O4 ) · n (H2O) where n is between 0.4 and 0.7. It is thus chemically seen a copper oxalate hydrate. There have been found so far only microscopic crystals or coarse masses. The greenish - blue, transparent mineral has a light blue bar and a matte, waxy luster.
Etymology and history
Moolooit 1986 was first found and described by Richard M. Clarke and Ian R. Williams at the type locality Bunbury well Mooloo Downs Station, Murchison / Western Australia at these coordinates - 25.025116.10833333333. The name of the mineral refers to this locality.
Classification
In the now outdated but still in use 8th edition of the mineral classification by Strunz the Moolooit belonged to the mineral class of " organic compounds " and then to the Department of " salts of organic acids ", where he, along with Caoxit, Coskrenit - (Ce), Glushinskit Humboldtin, Levinsonit - (Y), Lindbergite, Minguzzit, Natroxalat, Novgorodovait, Oxammit, Stepanovit, Weddellit, Wheatleyit, Whewellite, Zhemchuzhnikovit and Zugshunstit - (Ce), the independent " oxalate " with the system no. IX/A.01 formed.
The 9th edition valid since 2001 and of the International Mineralogical Association (IMA ) used the Strunz'schen Mineral classification assigns the Moolooit also in the category of " organic compounds " and there in the department of " salts of organic acids " a. This division, however, is further subdivided by the compounds of the parent acid, so that the mineral is found according to its composition in the subdivision of " oxalates ", where it forms the unnamed group 10.AB.15 the only member.
The mainly common in English-speaking classification of minerals according to Dana assigns the Moolooit into the class of " Organic Minerals " and then in the same department. Here he can be found as the only member of the unnamed group 50.01.06 within the subdivision " salts of organic acids ( oxalates ) ".
Education and Locations
Moolooit is a secondary mineral, eg to forms by the action of bird droppings on weathered copper ores. Accompanying minerals were found on his type locality Bunbury Catfish Mooloo Downs Station Antlerite, Atacamit, barite, Brochantite, chalcopyrite, covellite, digenite, gypsum, jarosite, silica, Libethenit, Sampleit and Whewellite.
In Germany the mineral previously occurred in the Clara mine in Oberwolfach in Baden -Württemberg and the Iberg at Ilfeld on the southern edge of the Harz Mountains in Thuringia in appearance.
Other localities lie among others in Sainte -Marie -aux -Mines in France, Sarbaiskoe deposit ( Sarbay mine ) in the area Qostanai in Kazakhstan, at Gjersvik in the Norwegian municipality Røyrvik and in the " Ahmeek Mine" in Keweenaw County ( Michigan) and San Rafael in Emery County ( Utah) in the U.S..
Crystal structure
Moolooit crystallized orthorhombic, point group mmm, and in the space group Pnnm ( Raumgruppen-Nr. 58) with the lattice parameters a = 5.4 Å; b = 5.57 Å; c = 2.54 Å; and a formula units per unit cell. The lattice constants a and b depend on the water content.