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Safflorite

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Neuglück Mine, Böckelsbach valley, Wittichen, Schenkenzell, Black Forest, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
© Stephan Wolfsried

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Formula:
(Co,Fe,Ni)As
 
2
System:OrthorhombicColour:Tin-white, tarnishing to ...
Hardness:4½ - 5
Name:The name derives from German, Safflor or Zaffer because it was used in the manufacture of zaffer, an impure oxide of cobalt used as pigment.
Isostructural with:Marcasite


Löllingite Group.

Classification of Safflorite

IMA status:Valid - first described prior to 1959 (pre-IMA) - "Grandfathered"
Strunz 8th edition ID:2/D.23-20
Nickel-Strunz 10th (pending) edition ID:2.EB.15a

2 : SULFIDES and SULFOSALTS (sulfides, selenides, tellurides; arsenides, antimonides, bismuthides; sulfarsenites, sulfantimonites, sulfbismuthites, etc.)
E : Metal Sulfides, M: S <= 1:2
B : M:S = 1:2, with Fe, Co, Ni, PGE, etc.
Dana 8th edition ID:2.12.2.11

2 : SULFIDES
12 : AmBnXp, with (m+n):p = 1:2
Hey's CIM Ref.:3.10.10

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

Type Locality:Daniel Mine (St. Daniel Mine), Neustädtel, Schneeberg District, Erzgebirge, Saxony, Germany
Year of Discovery:1817

Occurrences of Safflorite

Geological Setting:In moderate temperature hydrothermal veins

Physical Properties of Safflorite

Lustre:Metallic
Diaphaneity (Transparency):Opaque
Colour:Tin-white, tarnishing to dark grey
Streak:Grayish black
Hardness (Mohs):4½ - 5
Hardness (Vickers):VHN100=792 - 882 kg/mm2
Tenacity:Brittle
Cleavage:Distinct/Good
Distinct on {100}
Fracture:Irregular/Uneven, Conchoidal
Density (measured):7.2 g/cm3
Density (calculated):7.471 g/cm3

Crystallography of Safflorite

Crystal System:Orthorhombic
Class (H-M):mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m) - Dipyramidal
Space Group:Pnnm (P21/n 21/n 2/m)
Cell Parameters:a = 5.173Å, b = 5.954Å, c = 2.999Å
Ratio:a:b:c = 0.869 : 1 : 0.504
Unit Cell Volume:V 92.37 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Z:2
Morphology:Prismatic Crystals
Twinning:As fivelings on {011}, Twin plane {101}
Crystal Atlas:
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Safflorite no.5 - Goldschmidt (1913-1926)

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Optical Data of Safflorite

Type:Anisotropic
Anisotropism:Strong
Colour in reflected light:White
Pleochroism:Weak

Chemical Properties of Safflorite

Formula:
(Co,Fe,Ni)As
 
2
Essential elements:As, Co
All elements listed in formula:As, Co, Fe, Ni
Common Impurities:Cu,Ni,S

Relationship of Safflorite to other Species

Related Minerals - Nickel-Strunz Grouping):

- +
2.EB.05aAurostibite
AuSb
 
2
2.EB.05bBambollaite
Cu(Se,Te)
 
2
2.EB.05aCattierite
CoS
 
2
2.EB.05aErlichmanite
OsS
 
2
2.EB.05aFukuchilite
Cu
 
3
FeS
 
8
2.EB.05aGeversite
PtSb
 
2
2.EB.05aHauerite
MnS
 
2
2.EB.05aInsizwaite
Pt(Bi,Sb)
 
2
2.EB.05aKrut'aite
CuSe
 
2
2.EB.05aLaurite
RuS
 
2
2.EB.05aPenroseite
(Ni,Co,Cu)Se
 
2
2.EB.05aPyrite
FeS
 
2
2.EB.05aSperrylite
PtAs
 
2
2.EB.05aTrogtalite
CoSe
 
2
2.EB.05aVaesite
NiS
 
2
2.EB.05aVillamanínite
(Cu,Ni,Co,Fe)S
 
2
2.EB.05aDzharkenite
FeSe
 
2
2.EB.05aGaotaiite
Ir
 
3
Te
 
8
2.EB.10bAlloclasite
(Co
 
0.65
Fe
 
0.35
)AsS - CoAsS
2.EB.10dCostibite
CoSbS
2.EB.10aFerroselite
FeSe
 
2
2.EB.10aFrohbergite
FeTe
 
2
2.EB.10cGlaucodot
(Co
 
0.50
Fe
 
0.50
)AsS
2.EB.10aKullerudite
NiSe
 
2
2.EB.10aMarcasite
FeS
 
2
2.EB.10aMattagamite
CoTe
 
2
2.EB.10eParacostibite
CoSbS
2.EB.10ePararammelsbergite
NiAs
 
2
2.EB.10fOenite
CoSbAs
2.EB.15aAnduoite
(Ru,Os)As
 
2
2.EB.15aClinosafflorite
(Co,Fe,Ni)As
 
2
2.EB.15aLöllingite
FeAs
 
2
2.EB.15aNisbite
NiSb
 
2
2.EB.15aOmeiite
(Os,Ru)As
 
2
2.EB.15cPaxite
CuAs
 
2
2.EB.15aRammelsbergite
NiAs
 
2
2.EB.15bSeinäjokite
(Fe,Ni)(Sb,As)
 
2
2.EB.20Arsenopyrite
FeAsS - (Fe
 
0.90
Co
 
0.10
)AsS
2.EB.20Gudmundite
FeSbS
2.EB.20Osarsite
(Os,Ru)AsS
2.EB.20Ruarsite
(Ru,Os)AsS
2.EB.25Cobaltite
CoAsS
2.EB.25Gersdorffite
NiAsS
2.EB.25Hollingworthite
(Rh,Pt,Pd)AsS
2.EB.25Irarsite
(Ir,Ru,Rh,Pt)AsS
2.EB.25Jolliffeite
NiAsSe
2.EB.25Krutovite
NiAs
 
2
2.EB.25Maslovite
PtBiTe
2.EB.25Michenerite
PdBiTe
2.EB.25Padmaite
PdBiSe
2.EB.25Platarsite
(Pt,Rh,Ru)AsS
2.EB.25Testibiopalladite
PdTe(Sb,Te)
2.EB.25Tolovkite
IrSbS
2.EB.25Ullmannite
NiSbS
2.EB.25Willyamite
(Co,Ni)SbS
2.EB.25Changchengite
IrBiS
2.EB.25Mayingite
IrBiTe
2.EB.25Hollingsworthite
2.EB.25Kalungaite
PdAsSe
2.EB.25Milotaite
PdSbSe
2.EB.30Urvantsevite
Pd(Bi,Pb)
 
2
2.EB.35Rheniite
ReS
 
2
Related Minerals - Hey's Index Grouping:

- +
3.10.1Cobaltpentlandite
(Co,Ni,Fe)
 
9
S
 
8
3.10.2Linnaeite
Co
2+
 
Co
3+
2
S
 
4
3.10.3Cattierite
CoS
 
2
3.10.4Freboldite
CoSe
3.10.5Bornhardtite
Co
2+
 
Co
3+
2
Se
 
4
3.10.6Trogtalite
CoSe
 
2
3.10.7Hastite
CoSe
 
2
3.10.8Mattagamite
CoTe
 
2
3.10.9Modderite
(Co,Fe)As
3.10.11Clinosafflorite
(Co,Fe,Ni)As
 
2
3.10.12Skutterudite
(Co,Fe,Ni)As
 
2-3
3.10.13Cobaltite
CoAsS
3.10.14Paracostibite
CoSbS
3.10.15Costibite
CoSbS
3.10.16Alloclasite
(Co
 
0.65
Fe
 
0.35
)AsS - CoAsS
3.10.17Glaucodot
(Co
 
0.50
Fe
 
0.50
)AsS
3.10.18Carrollite
Cu(Co,Ni)
 
2
S
 
4

Other Names for Safflorite

Synonyms:
Cobalt-Löllingite
Other Languages:
German:Arsenikkobalteisen
Arsenkobalteisen
Asenikkobalt
Grauer Speiskobalt
Safflorit
Italian:Safflorite
Japanese:サフロ鉱
Russian:Саффлорит
Spanish:Safflorita

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.

References for Safflorite

Reference List:Breithaupt, A. (1817): Strahliger Weisser Speiskobold.- C.A.S. Hoffmann´s Handbuch der Mineralogie, Vol. 4.1.- Freiberg, Verl. Craz & Gerlach, p. 181-182.

Breithaupt, A. (1835), Journal für praktische Chemie 4, 265.

Flink (1908) Ark. Kemi: 3(11): 73.

Buerger (1937), American Mineralogist: 22: 48.

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: 307-309.

Radcliffe, D. & Berry, L. G. (1968): Safflorite-loellingite solid solution series. American Minealogist 53, 1856-1881.

Canadian Mineralogist (1971): 10: 877-881.

Bulletin de Minéralogie: 89: 213-215.

Yang, H., Downs, R.T., Eichler, C. (2008): Safflorite, (Co,Ni,Fe)As2, isomorphous with marcasite. Acta Crystallographica, E64, i62.

Internet Links for Safflorite

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    Localities for Safflorite

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