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Mendipite

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Torr Works Quarry (Merehead Quarry), Cranmore, Somerset, England, UK
© Peter Haas

Show Mendipite Photos (9)
Formula:
Pb
 
3
[O
 
2
|Cl
 
2
]
System:OrthorhombicColour:Colourless, white, grey, ...
Hardness:2½ - 3
Name:After the locality at the Mendip Hills, Somerset, England, UK.
This page provides mineralogical data about Mendipite.

Classification of Mendipite

IMA status:Valid - first described prior to 1959 (pre-IMA) - "Grandfathered"
Strunz 8th edition ID:3/D.10-30
Nickel-Strunz 10th (pending) edition ID:3.DC.70

3 : HALIDES
D : Oxyhalides, hydroxyhalides and related double halides
C : With Pb (As,Sb,Bi), without Cu
Dana 8th edition ID:10.3.1.1

10 : OXYHALIDES AND HYDROXYHALIDES
3 : A3(O,OH)2Xq
Hey's CIM Ref.:8.8.5

8 : Halides - Fluorides, Chlorides, Bromides and Iodides; also Fluoborates and Fluosilicates
8 : Halides of Pb
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Type Occurrence of Mendipite

Type Locality:Churchill, Mendip Hills, Somerset, England, UK
Year of Discovery:1839
Associated Minerals at type locality:
WadPyromorphiteMalachiteHydrocerussiteDiaboleite
ChloroxiphiteCerussiteCalcite

Physical Properties of Mendipite

Lustre:Adamantine, Resinous, Silky, Pearly
Diaphaneity (Transparency):Transparent, Translucent
Colour:Colourless, white, grey, often tinged yellow, blue, red; nearly colourless in transmitted light
Streak:White
Hardness (Mohs):2½ - 3
Cleavage:Perfect
On {110} perfect; {100} and {010} less perfect.
Fracture:Irregular/Uneven, Conchoidal
Density (measured):7.24 g/cm3
Density (calculated):7.22 g/cm3

Crystallography of Mendipite

Crystal System:Orthorhombic
Cell Parameters:a = 9.52Å, b = 11.87Å, c = 5.87Å
Ratio:a:b:c = 0.802 : 1 : 0.495
Unit Cell Volume:V 663.32 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Morphology:Fibrous or columnar masses, often radiated.
X-Ray Powder Diffraction:
Image Loading

Radiation - Copper Kα
Data Set:
Horizontal Axis: ° to ° Vertical Axis: % Source Data: Filtered Data: Peaks:
Data courtesy of RRUFF project at University of Arizona, used with permission.

Optical Data of Mendipite

Type:Biaxial (+/-)
RI values: nα = 2.240 nβ = 2.270 nγ = 2.310
2V:Measured: 90° , Calculated: 84°
Maximum Birefringence:δ = 0.070

Chart shows birefringence interference colour range (at 30µm thickness) and does not take into account mineral colouration.
Surface Relief:Very High
Dispersion:relatively strong

Chemical Properties of Mendipite

Formula:
Pb
 
3
[O
 
2
|Cl
 
2
]
Essential elements:Cl, O, Pb
All elements listed in formula:Cl, O, Pb

Relationship of Mendipite to other Species

Related Minerals - Nickel-Strunz Grouping):

- +
3.DC.05Laurionite
PbClOH
3.DC.05Paralaurionite
PbClOH
3.DC.10Fiedlerite
Pb
 
3
Cl
 
4
F(OH)·H
 
2
O
3.DC.15Penfieldite
Pb
 
2
[OH|Cl
 
3
]
3.DC.20Laurelite
Pb(F,Cl,OH)
 
2
3.DC.25Bismoclite
BiOCl
3.DC.25Daubréeite
BiO(OH,Cl)
3.DC.25Matlockite
PbFCl
3.DC.25Rorisite
CaFCl
3.DC.25Zavaritskite
BiOF
3.DC.25Zhangpeishanite
BaFCl
3.DC.30Nadorite
PbSb[O
 
2
|Cl]
3.DC.30Perite
PbBi[O
 
2
|Cl]
3.DC.35Aravaipaite
Pb
 
3
[F
 
3
|AlF
 
6
] · H
 
2
O
3.DC.37Calcioaravaipaite
PbCa
 
2
[(F,OH)
 
3
|AlF
 
6
] · H
 
2
O
3.DC.40Thorikosite
Pb
 
3
[OH|(SbO
 
3
,AsO
 
3
)|Cl
 
2
]
3.DC.45Mereheadite
Pb
 
2
[O|OH|Cl]
3.DC.50Blixite
Pb
 
2
[(O,OH)
 
2
|Cl]
3.DC.55Pinalite
Pb
 
3
WO
 
3
Cl
 
2
3.DC.60Symesite
Pb
 
10
[O
 
7
|SO
 
4
|Cl
 
4
] · H
 
2
O
3.DC.65Ecdemite
Pb
 
6
[As
 
2
O
 
7
|Cl
 
4
]
3.DC.65Heliophyllite
Pb
 
3
AsO
 
4-n
Cl
 
2n+1
3.DC.75Damaraite
Pb
 
3
[O
 
2
|OH|Cl]
3.DC.80Onoratoite
Sb
 
8
O
 
11
Cl
 
2
3.DC.85Cotunnite
PbCl
 
2
3.DC.90Pseudocotunnite
K
 
2
PbCl
 
4
3.DC.95Barstowite
Pb
 
4
[Cl
 
6
|CO
 
3
] · H
 
2
O
Related Minerals - Hey's Index Grouping:

- +
8.8.1Abhurite
Sn
 
21
Cl
 
16
(OH)
 
14
O
 
6
8.8.2Matlockite
PbFCl
8.8.3Laurelite
Pb(F,Cl,OH)
 
2
8.8.4Cotunnite
PbCl
 
2
8.8.6Damaraite
Pb
 
3
[O
 
2
|OH|Cl]
8.8.7Laurionite
PbClOH
8.8.8Paralaurionite
PbClOH
8.8.9Penfieldite
Pb
 
2
[OH|Cl
 
3
]
8.8.10Fiedlerite
Pb
 
3
Cl
 
4
F(OH)·H
 
2
O
8.8.11Blixite
Pb
 
2
[(O,OH)
 
2
|Cl]
8.8.12Pseudocotunnite
K
 
2
PbCl
 
4
8.8.13Diaboleite
Pb
 
2
CuCl
 
2
(OH)
 
4
8.8.14Pseudoboleite
Pb
 
31
Cu
 
24
Cl
 
62
(OH)
 
48
8.8.15Chloroxiphite
Pb
 
3
CuCl
 
2
(OH)
 
2
O
 
2
8.8.17Bideauxite
Pb
 
2
Ag[(F,OH)
 
2
|Cl
 
3
]
8.8.18Boleite
KPb
 
26
Ag
 
9
Cu
 
24
(OH)
 
48
Cl
 
62
8.8.19Aravaipaite
Pb
 
3
[F
 
3
|AlF
 
6
] · H
 
2
O
8.8.20Yedlinite
Pb
 
6
(Cl,OH)
 
6
Cr
3+
 
(OH,O)
 
8
8.8.21Kolarite
PbTeCl
 
2
8.8.22Hematophanite
Pb
 
4
Fe
 
3
O
 
8
(OH,Cl)

Other Names for Mendipite

Synonyms:
Berzélite (of Lévy)CerasiteChloride of LeadChurchilliteFlaky and Striated Lead-ore
Muriate of LeadPeritomous Lead-barytePseudomendipite
Other Languages:
French:Plomb chloruré
German:Chlor-Spath
Churchillit
Mendipit
Salzsaures Blei
Latin:Minera plumbi calciformis
Russian:Мендипит
Spanish:Churchillita
Mendipita
Swedish:Saltsyradt Bly

Other Information

Other Information:Soluble in dilute nitric acid.
Health Warning:No information on health risks for this material has been entered into the database. You should always treat mineral specimens with care.

References for Mendipite

Reference List:Berzelius (1823) Svenska Vetenskapsakademien, Stockholm, Handlingar: 184.

Berzelius (1824) Edinburgh Journal of Science: 1: 379.

Haidinger (1825) Mohs: 2: 151.

Beudant, F.S. (1832), Trailé élémentaire de Minéralogie, second edition, 2 volumes: 2: 502.

Breithaupt, A. (1832) Vollständige Characteristik etc. 2nd. Ed.: 61 (as Chlor-Spath).

Lévy, A. (1837) Description d’une collection de minéraux formée par M. Henri Heuland, et appartenant à M. Ch. H. Turner, de Rooksnest, dans le comté de Surrey en Angleterre. 3 volumes and atlas of 85 plates, London: 2: 448 (as Berzélite).

Glocker, E.F. (1839) Handbuch der Mineralogie, 2nd. edition, Nürnberg.: 604.

Dufrénoy (1856): 3: 280.

Rimann (1918) Anal. soc. quim. argentina: 6: 326 (as Pseudomendipite).

Spencer (1923) Mineralogical Magazine: 20: 67.

Bannister (1934) Mineralogical Magazine: 23: 596.

Palache, Charles, Harry Berman & Clifford Frondel (1951), The System of Mineralogy of James Dwight Dana and Edward Salisbury Dana Yale University 1837-1892, Volume II: Halides, Nitrates, Borates, Carbonates, Sulfates, Phosphates, Arsenates, Tungstates, Molybdates, Etc. John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York, 7th edition, revised and enlarged: 56-58.

Arkiv för Mineralogi och Geologi (1969): 4: 523.

Bulletin de la Société française de Minéralogie et de Cristallographie (1971): 94: 323.

Neues Jahrbuch für Mineralogie, Monatshefte (2000): 563-569.

Articles/Blogs about Mendipite

Internet Links for Mendipite

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  • Raman and XRD data at RRUFF project
  • American Mineralogist Crystal Structure Database
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  • Mendipite details from Handbook of Mineralogy (PDF)
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    Localities for Mendipite

    Hide Locality List
    The map shows a selection of localities that have latitude and longitude coordinates recorded. Click on the symbol to view information about a locality. The symbol next to localities in the list can be used to jump to that position on the map.
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    (TL) indicates type locality. ? indicates mineral may be doubtful at this locality. All other localities listed without reference should be considered as uncertain and unproven until references can be found.
    Australia
     
    • New South Wales
      • Robinson Co.
        • Cobar
          • Booroondarra
    		Chapman, J. & Scott, K. (2005): Supergene minerals from the oxidised zone of the Elura (Endeavor) lead-zinc-silver deposit. Australian Journal of Mineralogy, 11, 83-90.
    • South Australia
      • Mt Lofty Ranges
        • South Mt Lofty Ranges
          • Clarendon
    		Bywater, S. (1987): Minerals from the Mount Malvern mine. Mineralogical News (Journal of the Mineralogical Society of South Australia), 7 (1), 41.; Kolitsch, U. and Elliott, P. (1999): Mineralogy of the Mount Malvern Mine near Clarendon, South Australia. Australian J. Mineral. 5, 3-17.
    Germany
     
    • North Rhine-Westphalia
      • Ruhr Coal Mining area
        • Recklinghausen
          • Marl-Hüls
    		Weiss: "Mineralfundstellen, Deutschland West", 1990
      • Sauerland
        • Brilon
    		Naumann, Zirkel: "Elemente der Mineralogie", 13th Ed., Engelmann (Leipzig), 1898; Palache, C., Berman, H., & Frondel, C. (1951), The System of Mineralogy of James Dwight Dana and Edward Salisbury Dana, Yale University 1837-1892, Volume II: 57.
    Greece
     
    • Attikí (Attica; Attika) Prefecture
      • Lavrion (Laurion; Laurium) District
        • Lavrion District slag localities
          • Passa Limani area
    		Gelaude, Piet, van Kalmthout, Piet, and Rewitzer, Christian (1996) Laurion: The Minerals of the Ancient Slags, Janssen Print, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
          • Thorikos area
    		Gelaude, Piet, van Kalmthout, Piet and Rewitzer, Christian (1996) Laurion: The Minerals in the Ancient Slags, Janssen Print, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
    Sweden
     
    • Värmland
      • Filipstad
    		Nysten, P., Holtstam, D. and Jonsson, E. (1999) The Långban minerals. In Långban - The mines,their minerals, geology and explorers (D. Holtstam and J. Langhof, eds.), Swedish Museum of Natural History and Raster Förlag, Stockholm & Chr. Weise Verlag, Munich, pp. 89-183.
    UK
     
    • England
      • Somerset
        • Cranmore
    		Turner, R.W., (2006) A Mechanism for the formation of the Mineralised Mn Deposits at Merehead Quarry, Cranmore, Somerset, England. Min. Mag. vol. 70, no. 6, pp 629 - 653
        • Holwell
    		BMS Database
        • Mendip Hills
    		Palache, C., Berman, H., & Frondel, C. (1951), The System of Mineralogy of James Dwight Dana and Edward Salisbury Dana, Yale University 1837-1892, Volume II: 57.
        • Priddy
    		Palache, C., Berman, H., & Frondel, C. (1951), The System of Mineralogy of James Dwight Dana and Edward Salisbury Dana, Yale University 1837-1892, Volume II: 57; Mineralogical Record: 27: 253.
        • Westbury on Trym
    		BMS Database
    USA
     
    • Massachusetts
      • Hampshire Co.
        • Easthampton
    		Gleba, 1978. Massachusetts Mineral & Fossil Localities
    • Pennsylvania
      • Chester Co.
    		MinRec 20:369-386
    Mineral and/or Locality
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