Mixite Mineral Data
General Mixite Information
Chemical Formula:
BiCu6(AsO4)3(OH)6•3(H2O)
Composition:
Molecular Weight = 1,163.10 gm
Copper 32.78 % Cu 41.03 % CuO
Bismuth 17.97 % Bi 20.03 % Bi2 O3
Arsenic 19.32 % As 29.64 % As2 O5
Hydrogen 1.04 % H 9.29 % H2 O
Oxygen 28.89 % O
______ ______
100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE
Empirical Formula:
BiCu6 (AsO4 )3 (OH)6 •3(H2 O)
Environment:
Secondary mineral in bismuth-bearing ores.
IMA Status:
Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1880
Locality:
J�chymov (St Joachimsthal), Krusne Hory (Erzgebirge), Z�padocesk� Kraj, Bohemia, Czech Republic Link to MinDat.org Location Data.
Name Origin:
Named after the mining engineer, A. Mixa from Jachymov, Czechoslovakia.
Name Pronunciation:
Mixite
Synonym:
ICSD 70117
PDF 13-414
Mixite Image
Images:
Mixite
Comments: Vuggy quartz matrix with green radial sprays of mixite crystals.
Location: Northern Star mine, Tintic district, Utah, USA.
Scale: 6 x 5 x 4 cm.
© John Veevaert
Mixite Crystallography
Axial Ratios:
a:c = 1:0.43286
Cell Dimensions:
a = 13.63, c = 5.9, Z = 2; V = 949.24 Den(Calc)= 4.07
Crystal System:
Hexagonal - Dipyramidal H-M Symbol (6/m) Space Group: P 63 /m
X Ray Diffraction:
By Intensity(I/Io ): 12(1), 2.46(0.9), 3.57(0.8),
Physical Properties of Mixite
Color:
Blue green, Yellow green, White, Light blue, Light green.
Density:
3.8
Fracture:
Uneven - Flat surfaces (not cleavage) fractured in an uneven pattern.
Habit:
Acicular - Occurs as needle-like crystals.
Habit:
Encrustations - Forms crust-like aggregates on matrix.
Habit:
Radial - Crystals radiate from a center without producing stellar forms (e.g. stibnite)
Hardness:
3.5-4 - Copper Penny-Fluorite
Luminescence:
Non-fluorescent.
Luster:
Adamantine
Magnetism:
Nonmagnetic
Streak:
pale green
Optical Properties of Mixite
Dichroism (e):
almost colorless.
Dichroism (w):
fine green.
Gladstone-Dale:
CI meas = -0.126 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas /KC ) CI calc = -0.051 (Good) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc /KC )
KPDcalc = 0.1892,KPDmeas = 0.2026,KC = 0.18 Ncalc = 1.68 - 1.73
Optical Data:
Uniaxial (+), w=1.73, e=1.81, bire=0.0800.
Calculated Properties of Mixite
Electron Density:
Bulk Density (Electron Density)=3.75 gm/cc note: Specific Gravity of Mixite =4.07 gm/cc.
Fermion Index:
Fermion Index = 0.0001403978 Boson Index = 0.9998596022
Photoelectric:
PEMixite = 342.30 barns/electronU=PEMixite x r Electron Density=1,284.05 barns/cc.
Radioactivity:
GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units) Mixite is Not Radioactive
Mixite Classification
Dana Class:
42.05.01.01 (42) Hydrated Phosphates, etc., Containing Hydroxyl or Halogen
(42.05) where (A)2 (XO4) Zq � x(H2O)
(42.05.01) Mixite group (Arsenate Series)
42.05.01.01 Mixite BiCu6(AsO4)3(OH)6•3(H2O) P 63 /m 6/m
42.05.01.02 Agardite-(Y) (Y,Ca)Cu6(AsO4)3(OH)6•3(H2O) P 63 /m 6/m
42.05.01.02a Agardite-(La) ! (La,Ca)Cu6(AsO4)3(OH)6•3(H2O) P 63 /m 6/m
42.05.01.02b Agardite-(Nd) ! (Pb,Nd,Y,La,Ca)Cu6(AsO4)3(OH)6•3(H2O) 6/m
42.05.01.02c Agardite-(Dy) ! (Dy,La,Ca)Cu6(AsO4)3(OH)6•3(H2O) 6/m
42.05.01.02d Agardite-(Ca) ! CaCu6(AsO4)3(OH)6•3(H2O) 6/m
42.05.01.02e Agardite-(Ce) ! (Ce,Ca)Cu6(AsO4)3(OH)6•3(H2O) P 63 /m 6/m
42.05.01.03 Goudeyite (Al,Y)Cu6(AsO4)3(OH)6•3(H2O) Unk Hex
42.05.01.04 Zalesiite ! (Ca,Y)Cu6[(AsO4)2(AsO3OH)(OH)6]•3(H2O) P 63 /m 6/m
42.05.01.06 Plumboagardite ! (Pb,REE,Ca)Cu6(AsO4)3(OH)6•3(H2O) P 63 /m 6/m
Strunz Class:
08.DL.15 08 - PHOSPHATES, ARSENATES, VANADATES
08.D - Phosphates, etc
08.DL -With large and medium-sized cations, (OH, etc.):RO4 = 2:1
08.DL.15 Agardite-(Dy) ! (Dy,La,Ca)Cu6(AsO4)3(OH)6•3(H2O) 6/m
08.DL.15 Agardite-(Ca) ! CaCu6(AsO4)3(OH)6•3(H2O) 6/m
08.DL.15 Agardite-(Ce) ! (Ce,Ca)Cu6(AsO4)3(OH)6•3(H2O) P 63 /m 6/m
08.DL.15 Agardite-(La) ! (La,Ca)Cu6(AsO4)3(OH)6•3(H2O) P 63 /m 6/m
08.DL.15 Agardite-(Nd) ! (Pb,Nd,Y,La,Ca)Cu6(AsO4)3(OH)6•3(H2O) 6/m
08.DL.15 Agardite-(Y) (Y,Ca)Cu6(AsO4)3(OH)6•3(H2O) P 63 /m 6/m
08.DL.15 Goudeyite (Al,Y)Cu6(AsO4)3(OH)6•3(H2O) Unk Hex
08.DL.15 Zalesiite ! (Ca,Y)Cu6[(AsO4)2(AsO3OH)(OH)6]•3(H2O) P 63 /m 6/m
08.DL.15 Mixite BiCu6(AsO4)3(OH)6•3(H2O) P 63 /m 6/m
08.DL.15 Petersite-(Y) (Y,Ce,Nd,Ca)Cu6(PO4)3(OH)6•3(H2O) P 63 /m 6/m
08.DL.15 Calciopetersite ! CaCu6[(PO4)2(PO3OH)(OH)6]•3(H2O) P 63 /m 6/m
08.DL.15 Plumboagardite ! (Pb,REE,Ca)Cu6(AsO4)3(OH)6•3(H2O) P 63 /m 6/m
Other Mixite Information
References:
NAME( Duda&Rejl90) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(Ford32)
See Also:
Links to other databases for Mixite :
1 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
2 - Amethyst Galleries' Mineral Gallery
3 - Athena
4 - EUROmin Project
5 - Ecole des Mines de Paris
6 - GeoScienceWorld
7 - Google Images
8 - Google Scholar
9 - Handbook of Mineralogy (MinSocAm)
10 - Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA)
11 - MinDAT
12 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
13 - Online Mineral Museum
14 - QUT Mineral Atlas
15 - Ruff.Info
16 - WWW-MINCRYST
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Mixite
BiCu6(AsO4)3(OH)6•3(H2O)
Dana No: 42.05.01.01 Strunz No: 08.DL.15
Locality:
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