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Kunatite

Big Photo

Lake Boga granite quarry, Lake Boga, Victoria, Australia
© crocoite.com

Formula:
CuFe
3+
2
(PO
 
4
)
 
2
(OH)
 
2
·4H
 
2
O
System:MonoclinicColour:yellow-green
Name:Named fro the rural district of Kunat around the town of Lake Boga. From the Australian aboriginal words kunat kunat, meaning 'cotton weed', which grows in the area.
Isostructural with:Arthurite, Whitmoreite


A member of the Whitmoreite Group.
It is the phosphate analogue of Arthurite and the Cu analogue of Whitmoreite.


Classification of Kunatite

IMA status:Approved 2008
Nickel-Strunz 10th (pending) edition ID:8.DC.15

8 : PHOSPHATES, ARSENATES, VANADATES
D : Phosphates, etc. with additional anions, with H2O
C : With only medium-sized cations, (OH, etc.):RO4 = 1:1 and < 2:1
Dana 8th edition ID:42.11.20.7

42 : HYDRATED PHOSPHATES, ETC.CONTAINING HYDROXYL OR HALOGEN
11 : (AB)3(XO4)2Zq·xH2O
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Type Occurrence of Kunatite

Type Locality:Lake Boga granite quarry, Lake Boga, Victoria, Australia
General Appearance of Type Material:acicular tp lath-like microcrystals forming compact to slightly open spheres, hemispheres and flattened sprays up to 0.25 mm across.
Place of Conservation of Type Material:Museum Victoria, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia (catalog nos. M40728 and M43773).
Year of Discovery:2007
Associated Minerals at type locality:
TurquoiseChalcosiderite

Physical Properties of Kunatite

Lustre:Silky
Diaphaneity (Transparency):Transparent
Colour:yellow-green
Streak:pale yellow
Density (calculated):3.063 g/cm3

Crystallography of Kunatite

Crystal System:Monoclinic
Class (H-M):2/m - Prismatic
Space Group:P21/b {P1 1 21/b} {P21/c} {P1 21/c 1} {P21/a}
Cell Parameters:a = 9.863(10) Å, b = 9.661(6) Å, c = 5.476(6) Å
β = 92.45(3)°
Ratio:a:b:c = 1.021 : 1 : 0.567
Unit Cell Volume:V 521.3 ų
Z:2
X-Ray Powder Diffraction:
d-spacingIntensity
9.849(100)
6.892(80)
4.924(80)
4.386(90)
4.333(45)
4.225(35)
2.697(60)

Optical Data of Kunatite

Type:Biaxial (-)
RI values: nα = 1.703(3) nβ = 1.742(4) nγ = 1.762(3)
2V:Calculated: 70°
Maximum Birefringence:δ = 0.059

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

Chemical Properties of Kunatite

Formula:
CuFe
3+
2
(PO
 
4
)
 
2
(OH)
 
2
·4H
 
2
O
All elements listed in formula:Cu, Fe, H, O, P

Relationship of Kunatite to other Species

Member of Group:
Arthurite Group:
M
2+
 
M
3+
2
(TO
 
4
)
 
2
(OH)
 
2
 · 4H
 
2
O
Common Associates:
TurquoiseQuartzMuscoviteFerberiteChalcosiderite
Apatite-(CaF)
Related Minerals - Nickel-Strunz Grouping):

- +
8.DC.05Nissonite
Cu
 
2
Mg
 
2
[OH|PO
 
4
]
 
2
 · 5H
 
2
O
8.DC.07Euchroite
Cu
 
2
[OH|AsO
 
4
] · 3H
 
2
O
8.DC.10Legrandite
Zn
 
2
[OH|AsO
 
4
] · H
 
2
O
8.DC.12Strashimirite
Cu
 
8
[OH|AsO
 
4
]
 
4
 · 5H
 
2
O
8.DC.15Arthurite
CuFe
3+
2
[(OH,O)|(AsO
 
4
,PO
 
4
,SO
 
4
)]
 
2
 · 4H
 
2
O
8.DC.15Earlshannonite
Mn
2+
 
Fe
3+
2
(PO
 
4
)
 
2
(OH)
 
2
·4H
 
2
O
8.DC.15Ojuelaite
ZnFe
3+
2
(AsO
 
4
)
 
2
(OH)
 
2
 · 4H
 
2
O
8.DC.15Whitmoreite
Fe
2+
 
Fe
3+
2
(PO
 
4
)
 
2
(OH)
 
2
 · 4H
 
2
O
8.DC.15Cobaltarthurite
(Co,Mg)Fe
3+
2
(AsO
 
4
)
 
2
(OH)
 
2
 · 4H
 
2
O
8.DC.15Bendadaite
Fe
2+
 
Fe
3+
2
(AsO
 
4
)
 
2
(OH)
 
2
 · 4H
 
2
O
8.DC.15UKI-2006-(PO:FeHZn)
ZnFe
3+
2
(PO
 
4
)
 
2
(OH)
 
2
·4H
 
2
O
8.DC.15UKI-2006-(PO:AlCuFeH)
Fe
2+
 
Al
 
3
(PO
 
4
)
 
2
(OH)
 
2
·4H
 
2
O
8.DC.17Kleemanite
ZnAl
 
2
[OH|PO
 
4
]
 
2
 · 3H
 
2
O
8.DC.20Bermanite
Mn
2+
 
(H
 
2
O)
 
4
[Mn
3+
2
(OH)
 
2
(PO
 
4
)
 
2
]
8.DC.22Kovdorskite
Mg
 
2
(PO
 
4
)(OH)·3H
 
2
O
8.DC.25Ferristrunzite
Fe
3+
 
Fe
3+
2
(PO
 
4
)
 
2
(OH)
 
3
 · 5H
 
2
O
8.DC.25Ferrostrunzite
Fe
2+
 
Fe
3+
2
[OH|PO
 
4
]
 
2
 · 6H
 
2
O
8.DC.25Metavauxite
Fe
2+
 
Al
 
2
[OH|PO
 
4
]
 
2
 · 8H
 
2
O
8.DC.25Strunzite
Mn
2+
 
Fe
3+
2
[OH|PO
 
4
]
 
2
 · 6H
 
2
O
8.DC.27Beraunite
Fe
2+
 
Fe
3+
5
[(OH)
 
5
|(PO
 
4
)
 
4
] · 4H
 
2
O
8.DC.30Gordonite
MgAl
 
2
[OH|PO
 
4
]
 
2
 · 8H
 
2
O
8.DC.30Laueite
Mn
2+
 
Fe
3+
2
[OH|PO
 
4
]
 
2
 · 8H
 
2
O
8.DC.30Mangangordonite
Mn
2+
 
Al
 
2
[OH|PO
 
4
]
 
2
 · 8H
 
2
O
8.DC.30Paravauxite
Fe
2+
 
Al
 
2
[OH|PO
 
4
]
 
2
 · 8H
 
2
O
8.DC.30Pseudolaueite
Mn
2+
 
Fe
3+
2
[OH|PO
 
4
]
 
2
 · 8H
 
2
O
8.DC.30Sigloite
Fe
3+
 
Al
 
2
[(OH)
 
3
|(PO
 
4
)
 
2
] · 7H
 
2
O
8.DC.30Stewartite
Mn
2+
 
Fe
3+
2
[OH|PO
 
4
]
 
2
 · 8H
 
2
O
8.DC.30Ushkovite
MgFe
3+
2
[PO
 
4
]
 
2
(OH)
 
2
 · 8H
 
2
O
8.DC.30Ferrolaueite
Fe
2+
 
Fe
3+
2
(PO
 
4
)
 
2
(OH)
 
2
 · 8H
 
2
O
8.DC.30Kastningite
(Mn
2+
 
,Fe
2+
 
,Mg)Al
 
2
[OH|PO
 
4
]
 
2
 · 8H
 
2
O
8.DC.30Maghrebite
MgAl
 
2
[OH|AsO
 
4
]
 
2
 · 8H
 
2
O
8.DC.32Tinticite
Fe
3+
5.34
(PO
 
4
)
 
3.62
(VO
 
4
)
 
0.38
(OH)
 
4
·6.7H
 
2
O
8.DC.35Vauxite
Fe
2+
 
Al
 
2
[OH|PO
 
4
]
 
2
 · 6H
 
2
O
8.DC.37Vantasselite
Al
 
4
[OH|PO
 
4
]
 
3
 · 9H
 
2
O
8.DC.40Cacoxenite
Fe
3+
24
Al[(OH)
 
12
|O
 
6
|(PO
 
4
)
 
17
] · 17H
 
2
O
8.DC.45Gormanite
(Fe
2+
 
,Mg)
 
3
(Al,Fe
3+
 
)
 
4
[(OH)
 
3
|(PO
 
4
)
 
2
]
 
2
 · 2H
 
2
O
8.DC.45Souzalite
(Mg,Fe
2+
 
)
 
3
(Al,Fe
3+
 
)
 
4
[(OH)
 
3
|(PO
 
4
)
 
2
]
 
2
 · 2H
 
2
O
8.DC.47Kingite
Al
 
3
[(OH)
 
3
|(PO
 
4
)
 
2
] · 9H
 
2
O
8.DC.50Wavellite
Al
 
3
[(OH,F)
 
3
|(PO
 
4
)
 
2
] · 5H
 
2
O
8.DC.50Allanpringite
Fe
3+
3
[(OH)
 
3
|(PO
 
4
)
 
2
] · 5H
 
2
O
8.DC.52Kribergite
Al
 
5
[(OH)
 
4
|SO
 
4
|(PO
 
4
)
 
3
] · 4H
 
2
O
8.DC.55Mapimite
Zn
 
2
Fe
3+
3
[(OH)
 
4
|(AsO
 
4
)
 
3
] · 10H
 
2
O
8.DC.57Ogdensburgite
Ca
 
2
Fe
3+
4
(Zn,Mn
2+
 
)[(OH)
 
3
|(AsO
 
4
)
 
2
]
 
2
 · 6H
 
2
O
8.DC.60Nevadaite
(Cu
2+
 
,Al,V
3+
 
)
 
6
Al
 
8
(PO
 
4
)
 
8
F
 
8
(OH)
 
2
(H
 
2
O)
 
22
8.DC.60Cloncurryite
(Cu,VO)Al
 
2
[(F,OH)|PO
 
4
]
 
2
 · 4.5-5H
 
2
O

Other Names for Kunatite

Synonyms:
IMA 2007-057
Other Languages:
Aragonese:Kunatite

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 Kunatite

Reference List:S. J. Mills, U. Kolitsch, W. D. Birch and J. Sejkora (2008): Kunatite, CuFe3+2(PO4)2(OH)24H2O, a new member of the whitmoreite group, from Lake Boga, Victoria, Australia. Austral. J. Mineral. 14, 3-12.

Internet Links for Kunatite

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    Localities for Kunatite

    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.
    (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
     
    • Victoria
      • Lake Boga
    		Australian J. Mineralogy 14, 3-12(2008)
    Czech Republic
     
    • Bohemia (Böhmen; Boehmen)
      • Karlovy Vary Region
        • Horní Slavkov (Schlaggenwald)
          • Krásno
    		Sejkora, J., Škoda, R., Ondruš, P. (2006): New naturally occurring mineral phases from the Krásno - Horní Slavkov area, western Bohemia, Czech Republic. Journal of the Czech Geological Society, 51, 159-187.
    Mineral and/or Locality
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