Luetheite Mineral Data

General Luetheite Information

Chemical Formula:

Cu2Al2(AsO4)2(OH)4•(H2O)

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 544.94 gm

Aluminum 9.90 % Al 18.71 % Al₂O₃

Copper 23.32 % Cu 29.19 % CuO

Arsenic 27.50 % As 42.18 % As₂O₅

Hydrogen 1.11 % H 9.92 % H₂O

Oxygen 38.17 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Cu₂Al₂(AsO₄)₂(OH)₄•(H₂O)

Environment:

Rare mineral filling cavities in intensely altered volcanic rock.

IMA Status:

Approved IMA 1977

Locality:

Prospect about 2.7 km southeast of the Flux mine, Patagonia district, Santa Cruz Co., Arizona Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named for Ronald D. Luethe (1944- ), geologist for Phelps Dodge Corporation, Douglas, Arizona, USA, who found the first material.

Name Pronunciation:

Luetheite + Pronunciation

Luetheite Image

Images:

Luetheite

Comments: Blue to greenish crystalline luetheite crust on altering rock matrix.
Location: Patagonia, Santa Cruz County, Arizona, USA. Scale: See Photo.
© Jeff Weissman / Photographic Guide to Mineral Species

Luetheite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =2.8947:1:1.0991

Cell Dimensions:

a = 14.743, b = 5.093, c = 5.598, Z = 2; beta = 101.817° V = 411.42 Den(Calc)= 4.40

Crystal System:

Monoclinic - Prismatic H-M Symbol (2/m) Space Group: P 2₁/m

$Help on X Ray Diffraction:$ X Ray Diffraction:

By Intensity(I/I_o): 3.498(1), 7.208(0.7), 2.507(0.5),

Physical Properties of Luetheite

Cleavage:

{100} Distinct

Color:

Blue, Greenish, Light green.

Density:

4.28

Fracture:

Brittle - Generally displayed by glasses and most non-metallic minerals.

Hardness:

3 - Calcite

Optical Properties of Luetheite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= 0.05 (Good) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= 0.076 (Fair) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.176,KPDmeas= 0.1809,KC= 0.1904
Ncalc = 1.81 - 1.84

Optical Data:

Biaxial (-), a=1.752, b=1.775, g=1.796, bire=0.0440, 2V(Calc)=86, 2V(Meas)=88.

Calculated Properties of Luetheite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=4.08 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Luetheite =4.28 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.0001848713
Boson Index = 0.9998151287

Photoelectric:

PE_Luetheite= 29.28 barns/electron
U=PE_Luetheite x rElectron Density= 119.57 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Luetheite is Not Radioactive

Luetheite Classification

Dana Class:

42.07.10.02 (42)Hydrated Phosphates, etc., Containing Hydroxyl or Halogen

(42.07)where (AB)5 (XO4)3 Zq � x(H2O)

(42.07.10)Chenevixite Group

42.07.10.01 Chenevixite Cu2Fe2(AsO4)2(OH)4•(H2O) P 2₁/m 2/m

42.07.10.02 Luetheite Cu2Al2(AsO4)2(OH)4•(H2O) P 2₁/m 2/m

Strunz Class:

08.DD.05 08 - PHOSPHATES, ARSENATES, VANADATES

08.D - Phosphates, etc

08.DD -With only medium-sized cations, (OH, etc.):RO4 = 2:1

08.DD.05 Chenevixite Cu2Fe2(AsO4)2(OH)4•(H2O) P 2₁/m 2/m

08.DD.05 Luetheite Cu2Al2(AsO4)2(OH)4•(H2O) P 2₁/m 2/m

Other Luetheite Information

References:

NAME( AntBidBlaNic4) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Luetheite :
1 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
2 - Athena
3 - EUROmin Project
4 - Ecole des Mines de Paris
5 - GeoScienceWorld
6 - Google Images
7 - Google Scholar
8 - Handbook of Mineralogy (MinSocAm)
9 - Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA)
10 - MinDAT
11 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
12 - Online Mineral Museum
13 - QUT Mineral Atlas
14 - Ruff.Info

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Print or Cut-and-Paste your Luetheite Specimen Label here :

Luetheite

Cu2Al2(AsO4)2(OH)4•(H2O)
Dana No: 42.07.10.02 Strunz No: 08.DD.05
Locality:

Notes:

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