User:Strickja/Germanite
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| Germanite | |
|---|---|
 Germanite, probably from the Tsumeb Mine, Otjikoto Region, Namibia. Specimen size 5 cm | |
| General | |
| Category | Sulphide mineral |
| Formula (repeating unit) | Cu26Ge4Fe4S32[1] |
| Strunz classification | 2/C.10.20 |
| Dana classification | 2.9.4.2 |
| Crystal system | Isometric B43m |
| Identification | |
| Formula mass | 3,192.14 g |
| Color | Reddish grey tarnishing to dark brown |
| Crystal habit | Usually massive; rarely as minute cubic crystals |
| Cleavage | None |
| Tenacity | Brittle |
| Mohs scale hardness | 4 |
| Luster | Metallic |
| Streak | Dark grey to black |
| Diaphaneity | Opaque[2] |
| Specific gravity | 4.4 to 4.6 |
| Density | 4.47 |
| Other characteristics | Cell data: a = 10.585 Z = 1 |
Germanite is a rare copper iron germanium sulfide mineral, Cu26Fe4Ge4S32. It was first discovered in 1922, and named for its germanium content. It is only a minor source of this important semiconductor element, which is mainly derived from the processing of the zinc sulphide mineral sphalerite[3]. Germanite contains gallium Ga, zinc Zn, molybdenum Mo, arsenic As, and vanadium V as impurities. It's type locality (the place where it was first desribed) is the Tsumeb Mine in Namibia, and it has also been reported from Argentina, Armenia, Bulgaria, Cuba, Democratic Republic of Congo (Zaire), Finland, France, Greece, Japan, Republic of Congo (Brazzaville), Russia and the USA [1].
| X-Ray Powder Diffraction[4] | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| d spacing | 3.05 | 2.65 | 1.87 | 1.60 | 1.32 | 1.21 | 1.08 | 1.02 |
| relative intensity | 10 | 1 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
References
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References
[edit]- ^ American Mineralogist (1984) 69:943-947
- ^ webmineral.com/data/Germanite.shtml Webmineral
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey (2008). "Germanium—Statistics and Information". U.S. Geological Survey, Mineral Commodity Summaries. http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/germanium/.
- ^ Dana's New Mineralogy, 8th edition. Gaines et al. Wiley
External links
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