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Digenite

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New Jersey Zinc Eagle Mine (Gilman Mine), Gilman, Gilman District (Battle Mountain District; Red Cliff District), Eagle Co., Colorado, USA
© 2002 John H. Betts

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Formula:
Cu
 
9
S
 
5
System:TrigonalColour:Grey to greyish black, ...
Hardness:2½ - 3
Name:from Greek digenus = of two origins, because it is related to chalcocite and covellite


Chalcocite-Digenite Group.

Note: Many of the reported associations of digenite and djurleite, identified by powder diffraction, could be anilite and djurleite, as anilite transforms to digenite during grinding.

A recent study showed the existence of a complete solid-solution series between high digenite [cubic, high-temperature digenite] and berzelianite (Pirard & Hatert, 2008).

Classification of Digenite

IMA status:Valid - first described prior to 1959 (pre-IMA) - "Grandfathered"
Strunz 8th edition ID:2/B.01-30
Nickel-Strunz 10th (pending) edition ID:2.BA.10

2 : SULFIDES and SULFOSALTS (sulfides, selenides, tellurides; arsenides, antimonides, bismuthides; sulfarsenites, sulfantimonites, sulfbismuthites, etc.)
B : Metal Sulfides, M: S > 1: 1 (mainly 2: 1)
A : With Cu, Ag, Au
Dana 8th edition ID:2.4.7.3

2 : SULFIDES
4 : AmBnXp, with (m+n):p = 2:1
Hey's CIM Ref.:3.1.3

3 : Sulphides, Selenides, Tellurides, Arsenides and Bismuthides (except the arsenides, antimonides and bismuthides of Cu, Ag and Au, which are included in Section 1)
1 : Sulphides etc. of Cu
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Type Occurrence of Digenite

Type Locality:Copper slate deposits, Sangerhausen, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany
Year of Discovery:1844

Occurrences of Digenite

Geological Setting:Hydrothermal copper deposits - both as primary and secondary mineral, mafic intrusives, exhalation product, pegmatites.

Physical Properties of Digenite

Lustre:Metallic
Diaphaneity (Transparency):Opaque
Colour:Grey to greyish black, turning bluish on exposure to air
Streak:Greyish black
Hardness (Mohs):2½ - 3
Hardness (Vickers):VHN100=86 - 106 kg/mm2
Tenacity:Brittle
Cleavage:Distinct/Good
{111} on synthetic material
Fracture:Conchoidal
Density (measured):5.546 g/cm3
Density (calculated):5.706 g/cm3

Crystallography of Digenite

Crystal System:Trigonal
Class (H-M):3m (3 2/m) - Hexagonal Scalenohedral
Space Group:R3m {R3 2/m}
Cell Parameters:a = 3.92Å, c = 48Å
Ratio:a:c = 1 : 12.245
Unit Cell Volume:V 638.77 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Z:15
Morphology:Pseudocubic crystals (rare) to 3cm, usually as intergrowths with other copper sulphides.
Comment:Above 73°C, cubic with space group Fm-3m, a = 5.57 A, Z = 4.
X-Ray Powder Diffraction:
d-spacingIntensity
3.21 (40)
3.05 (10)
2.79 (40)
2.17 (10)
1.973 (100)
1.686 (30)
1.139 (20)

Optical Data of Digenite

Type:Anisotropic
Anisotropism:Mostly isotropic.
Colour in reflected light:Blue

Chemical Properties of Digenite

Formula:
Cu
 
9
S
 
5
Essential elements:Cu, S
All elements listed in formula:Cu, S
Common Impurities:Fe

Relationship of Digenite to other Species

Structurally related to group(s):
Chalcocite-Digenite Group
Common Associates:
PyriteDjurleiteChalcopyriteChalcociteBornite
Related Minerals - Nickel-Strunz Grouping):

- +
2.BA.05Chalcocite
Cu
 
2
S
2.BA.05Djurleite
Cu
 
31
S
 
16
2.BA.05Geerite
Cu
 
8
S
 
5
2.BA.05Roxbyite
Cu
 
9
S
 
5
2.BA.10Anilite
Cu
 
7
S
 
4
2.BA.15Bornite
Cu
 
5
FeS
 
4
2.BA.20Bellidoite
Cu
 
2
Se
2.BA.20Berzelianite
Cu
 
2
Se
2.BA.25Athabascaite
Cu
 
5
Se
 
4
2.BA.25Umangite
Cu
 
3
Se
 
2
2.BA.30Rickardite
Cu
 
7
Te
 
5
2.BA.30Weissite
Cu
 
2-x
Te
2.BA.35Acanthite
Ag
 
2
S
2.BA.40Mckinstryite
Ag
 
5-x
Cu
 
3+x
S
 
4
2.BA.40Stromeyerite
AgCuS
2.BA.40dUM2003-13-S:AgAuCu
Ag
 
6
AuCu
 
2
S
 
5
2.BA.45Jalpaite
Ag
 
3
CuS
 
2
2.BA.45Selenojalpaite
Ag
 
3
CuSe
 
2
2.BA.50Eucairite
AgCuSe
2.BA.55Aguilarite
Ag
 
4
SeS
2.BA.55Naumannite
Ag
 
2
Se
2.BA.60Cervelleite
Ag
 
4
TeS
2.BA.60Hessite
Ag
 
2
Te
2.BA.60Chenguodaite
Ag
 
9
Fe
3+
 
Te
 
2
S
 
4
2.BA.65Henryite
Ag
 
3
Cu
 
4
Te
 
4
2.BA.65Stützite
Ag
 
5-x
Te
 
3
, x = 0.24-0.36
2.BA.70Argyrodite
Ag
 
8
GeS
 
6
2.BA.70Canfieldite
Ag
 
8
(Sn,Ge)(S,Te)
 
6
2.BA.70Putzite
(Cu
 
4.7
Ag
 
3.3
)GeS
 
6
2.BA.75Fischesserite
Ag
 
3
AuSe
 
2
2.BA.75Penzhinite
(Ag,Cu)
 
4
Au(S,Se)
 
4
2.BA.75Petrovskaite
AuAg(S,Se)
2.BA.75Petzite
Ag
 
3
AuTe
 
2
2.BA.75Uytenbogaardtite
Ag
 
3
AuS
 
2
2.BA.80Bezsmertnovite
(Au,Ag)
 
4
Cu(Te,Pb)
2.BA.80Bilibinskite
PbCuAu
 
3
Te
 
2
2.BA.80Bogdanovite
(Au,Te,Pb)
 
3
(Cu,Fe)
Related Minerals - Hey's Index Grouping:

- +
3.1.1Chalcocite
Cu
 
2
S
3.1.2Djurleite
Cu
 
31
S
 
16
3.1.4Anilite
Cu
 
7
S
 
4
3.1.5Roxbyite
Cu
 
9
S
 
5
3.1.6Spionkopite
Cu
 
39
S
 
28
3.1.7Geerite
Cu
 
8
S
 
5
3.1.8Covellite
CuS
3.1.9Berzelianite
Cu
 
2
Se
3.1.10Bellidoite
Cu
 
2
Se
3.1.11Umangite
Cu
 
3
Se
 
2
3.1.12Yarrowite
Cu
 
9
S
 
8
3.1.13Athabascaite
Cu
 
5
Se
 
4
3.1.14Klockmannite
CuSe
3.1.15Krut'aite
CuSe
 
2
3.1.16Weissite
Cu
 
2-x
Te
3.1.17Rickardite
Cu
 
7
Te
 
5
3.1.18Vulcanite
CuTe
3.1.19Bambollaite
Cu(Se,Te)
 
2
3.1.20Lautite
CuAsS
3.1.21Mgriite
Cu
 
3
AsSe
 
3
3.1.22Cubanite
CuFe
 
2
S
 
3
3.1.23Bornite
Cu
 
5
FeS
 
4
3.1.24Fukuchilite
Cu
 
3
FeS
 
8
3.1.25Chalcopyrite
CuFeS
 
2
3.1.26Mooihoekite
Cu
 
9
Fe
 
9
S
 
16
3.1.27Haycockite
Cu
 
4
Fe
 
5
S
 
8
3.1.28Isocubanite
CuFe
 
2
S
 
3
3.1.29Idaite
Cu
 
5
FeS
 
6
3.1.30Nukundamite
(Cu,Fe)
 
4
S
 
4
3.1.31Putoranite
Cu
 
9
(Fe,Ni)
 
9
S
 
16
3.1.32Orickite
2CuFeS
 
2
 · H
 
2
O
3.1.33Eskebornite
CuFeSe
 
2
3.1.34Chaméanite
(Cu,Fe)
 
4
As(Se,S)
 
4
3.1.35Talnakhite
Cu
 
9
(Fe,Ni)
 
8
S
 
16

Other Names for Digenite

Synonyms:
α-ChalcociteBlue ChalcociteCarmeniteIsometric ChalcociteKupferglanz-α
Neodigenite
Other Languages:
Czech:Digenit
German:α-Chalcosit
α-Chalkosin
Blauer Chalkosin
Carmenit
Digenit
Neodigenit
Italian:Digenite
Russian:Дигенит
Simplified Chinese:蓝辉铜矿
兰辉铜矿
Spanish:α-Chalcocita
Carmenita
Digenita
Neodigenita

Other Information

Health Warning:No information on health risks for this material has been entered into the database. You should always treat mineral specimens with care.
Industrial Uses:Copper ore.

References for Digenite

Reference List:

- +
Breithaupt, A. (1844): Zwei neue Kupfer enthaltende Mineralien aus der Ordnung der Glanze.- Poggendorffs Annalen der Physik und Chemie: 61, 671-675.

American Mineralogist (1942): 27: 712-716.

Palache, Charles, Harry Berman & Clifford Frondel (1944), The System of Mineralogy of James Dwight Dana and Edward Salisbury Dana Yale University 1837-1892, Volume I: Elements, Sulfides, Sulfosalts, Oxides. John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York. 7th edition, revised and enlarged, 834pp.: 180-182.

American Mineralogist (1958): 43: 230-242.

Pósfai, M. & Buseck, P. R. (1994): Djurleite, digenite, and chalcocite: Intergrowths and transformations. American Mineralogist, 79, 308-315.

Pirard, C. & Hatert, F. (2008): The sulfides and selenides of the Musonoi Mine, Kolwezi, Katanga, Democratic Republic of Congo. Canadian Mineralogist 46, 219-231.

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