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Atacamite

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La Farola Mine, Cerro Pintado, Tierra Amarilla, Copiapó Province, Atacama Region, Chile
© Saul Krotki 2001

Show Atacamite Photos (136)
Formula:
Cu
 
2
[(OH)
 
3
|Cl]
System:OrthorhombicColour:Bright green, dark ...
Lustre:Adamantine, VitreousHardness:3 - 3½
Name:Named after the type locality, in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile.
Polymorph of:Botallackite, Clinoatacamite, Paratacamite


A secondary copper mineral formed through the oxidation of other copper minerals, especially in arid, saline conditions.

May alter to malachite and chrysocolla, creating pseudomorphs.

Classification of Atacamite

IMA status:Valid - first described prior to 1959 (pre-IMA) - "Grandfathered"
Strunz 8th edition ID:3/D.01-30
Nickel-Strunz 10th (pending) edition ID:3.DA.10a

3 : HALIDES
D : Oxyhalides, hydroxyhalides and related double halides
A : With Cu, etc., without Pb
Dana 7th edition ID:10.1.1.1
Dana 8th edition ID:10.1.1.1

10 : OXYHALIDES AND HYDROXYHALIDES
1 : A2(O,OH)3Xq
Hey's CIM Ref.:8.2.4

8 : Halides - Fluorides, Chlorides, Bromides and Iodides; also Fluoborates and Fluosilicates
2 : Halides of Cu
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Type Occurrence of Atacamite

Type Locality:Atacama Region, Chile
Place of Conservation of Type Material:Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA (No. 110816)
Year of Discovery:1801
Geological Setting of type material:An oxidation product of other copper minerals under arid conditions

Occurrences of Atacamite

Geological Setting:An oxidation product of other copper minerals, especially under arid, saline conditions; in fumarolic deposits; a weathering product of sulphides in subsea black smoker deposits; an alteration product of bronze and copper objects of antiquity.

Physical Properties of Atacamite

Lustre:Adamantine, Vitreous
Diaphaneity (Transparency):Transparent, Translucent
Colour:Bright green, dark emerald-green to blackish green; shades of green in transmitted light.
Streak:Apple-green.
Hardness (Mohs):3 - 3½
Tenacity:Brittle
Cleavage:Perfect
On {010}, fair on {101}.
Fracture:Conchoidal
Density (measured):3.745 - 3.776 g/cm3
Density (calculated):3.756 g/cm3

Crystallography of Atacamite

Crystal System:Orthorhombic
Class (H-M):mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m) - Dipyramidal
Space Group:Pnma (P21/n 21/m 21/a)
Cell Parameters:a = 6.03Å, b = 9.12Å, c = 6.865Å
Ratio:a:b:c = 0.661 : 1 : 0.753
Unit Cell Volume:V 377.53 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Z:4
Morphology:Slender crystals, to 10 cm, prismatic along [001]; sriated parallel to [001], on {010} parallel to [110]; commonly tabular perpendicular to {010} or pseudo-octahedral with {110} and {011}. Also fibrous, sandy granular to compact, massive.
Twinning:Rare, with twin and composition plane {110}; more common about [544]. Doublets, triplets, both contact and penetration, and complex groups result from twinning.
Crystal Atlas:
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Atacamite no.4 - Goldschmidt (1913-1926)
Atacamite no.9 - Goldschmidt (1913-1926)
Atacamite no.25 - Goldschmidt (1913-1926)

About Crystal Atlas

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X-Ray Powder Diffraction:
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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.
X-Ray Powder Diffraction:
d-spacingIntensity
5.48 (100)
5.03 (70)
2.278 (69)
1.6060 (57)
2.759 (55)
2.836 (51)
Comments:Recorded on material from Inca de Oro, Copiapó, Chile.

Optical Data of Atacamite

Type:Biaxial (-)
RI values: nα = 1.831 nβ = 1.861 nγ = 1.880
2V:Calculated: 74°
Maximum Birefringence:δ = 0.049

Chart shows birefringence interference colour range (at 30µm thickness) and does not take into account mineral colouration.
Surface Relief:Very High
Dispersion:r < v, strong
Pleochroism:Weak
Comments:X = pale green, Y = yellow-green, Z = grass-green; Orientation: X = b, Y = a, Z = c.

Chemical Properties of Atacamite

Formula:
Cu
 
2
[(OH)
 
3
|Cl]
Essential elements:Cl, Cu, H, O
All elements listed in formula:Cl, Cu, H, O
Analyical Data:Results of chemical analysis of material from Collahuasi, Chile
Cu (14.82)
CuO (56.01)
Cl (16.55)
H2O (12.69)

sum 100.07 wt.-%
Common Impurities:Ca,Co

Relationship of Atacamite to other Species

Common Associates:
MalachiteLimoniteGypsumCupriteChrysocolla
Brochantite
Related Minerals - Nickel-Strunz Grouping):
3.DA.05Melanothallite
Cu
 
2
[O|Cl
 
2
]
3.DA.10bBotallackite
Cu
 
2
[(OH)
 
3
|Cl]
3.DA.10bClinoatacamite
Cu
 
2
[(OH)
 
3
|Cl]
3.DA.10aHibbingite
Fe
2+
2
[(OH)
 
3
|Cl]
3.DA.10aKempite
Mn
2+
2
[(OH)
 
3
|Cl]
3.DA.10cParatacamite
Cu
 
3
(Cu,Zn)[(OH)
 
3
|Cl]
 
2
3.DA.10bBelloite
Cu[OH|Cl]
3.DA.10cHerbertsmithite
Cu
 
3
Zn[(OH)
 
3
|Cl]
 
2
3.DA.10cKapellasite
Cu
 
3
Zn[(OH)
 
3
|Cl]
 
2
3.DA.10cGillardite
Cu
 
3
NiCl
 
2
(OH)
 
6
3.DA.10cHaydeeite
Cu
 
3
Mg(OH)
 
6
Cl
 
2
3.DA.15Claringbullite
Cu
 
4
[(OH)
 
7
|Cl] · nH
 
2
O
3.DA.20Simonkolleite
Zn
 
5
[(OH)
 
8
|Cl
 
2
] · H
 
2
O
3.DA.25Buttgenbachite
Cu
 
19
[(OH)
 
32
|(NO
 
3
)
 
2
|Cl
 
4
] · 2H
 
2
O
3.DA.25Connellite
Cu
 
19
[(OH)
 
32
|SO
 
4
|Cl
 
4
] · 3H
 
2
O
3.DA.30Abhurite
Sn
 
21
Cl
 
16
(OH)
 
14
O
 
6
3.DA.35Ponomarevite
K
 
4
Cu
 
4
[O|Cl
 
10
]
3.DA.40Anthonyite
Cu(OH,Cl)
 
2
 · 3H
 
2
O
3.DA.40Calumetite
Cu(OH,Cl)
 
2
 · 2H
 
2
O
3.DA.45Khaidarkanite
Na
 
0.34
Cu
 
4
Al
 
3
(OH)
 
14
F
 
3
·2H
 
2
O
3.DA.50Bobkingite
Cu
 
5
[(OH)
 
8
|Cl
 
2
] · 2H
 
2
O
3.DA.55Avdoninite
K
 
2
Cu
 
5
[(OH)
 
4
|Cl
 
8
] · H
 
2
O
Related Minerals - Hey's Index Grouping:
8.2.1Nantokite
CuCl
8.2.2Tolbachite
CuCl
 
2
8.2.3Eriochalcite
CuCl
 
2
·2H
 
2
O
8.2.5Paratacamite
Cu
 
3
(Cu,Zn)[(OH)
 
3
|Cl]
 
2
8.2.6Botallackite
Cu
 
2
[(OH)
 
3
|Cl]
8.2.7Melanothallite
Cu
 
2
[O|Cl
 
2
]
8.2.8Calumetite
Cu(OH,Cl)
 
2
 · 2H
 
2
O
8.2.9Anthonyite
Cu(OH,Cl)
 
2
 · 3H
 
2
O
8.2.10Claringbullite
Cu
 
4
[(OH)
 
7
|Cl] · nH
 
2
O
8.2.11Marshite
CuI
8.2.12Mitscherlichite
K
 
2
[CuCl
 
4
] · 2H
 
2
O
8.2.13Ponomarevite
K
 
4
Cu
 
4
[O|Cl
 
10
]

Other Names for Atacamite

Synonyms:
AlacamiteArsenilloAtakamiteHalochalciteMarcylite
Muriate of copperRemolinite
French names:
Cuivre Muriaté
German names:
AlacamitAtacamitAtakamitChlorochalcitHal-Chalzit
HalochalcitHalochalzitKupferhornerzKupfersandSalzkupfererz
Salzsaures KupferSmaragdochalcit (of Hausmann)
Russian names:
Атакамит
Spanish names:
AlacamitaAtacamitaAtakamitaHalochalcita

Other Information

Other Information:Readily soluble in acids.
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:Ore of copper.

References for Atacamite

Reference List:Rochefourcauld, Baumé, and Fourcroy (1786)[published 1788] Mém. ac. Paris.

Berthollet (1788) Mém. ac. Paris.

Karsten, D.L.G. (1800) Mineralogische Tabellen, Berlin. First edition: 46, 76 (as Kupfersand and Salzsaures Kupfer).

Haüy, R.J. (1801) Traité de minéralogie. First edition: in 4 volumes with atlas in fol.; also (1801), Paris: 3: 561 (as Cuivre muriaté).

Ludwig, C.F. (1803-1804) Handbuch der Mineralogie nach A.G. Werner. 2 volumes, Leipzig: 2: 178 (as Kupferhornerz, Atacamit).

Blumenbach (1805) Handbuch Nat. (as Atacamit, Salzkupfererz)

Hausmann, J.F.L. (1813) Handbuch der Mineralogie 3 volumes, Göttingen: 1039 (as Smaragdochalcit).

Glocker, E.F. (1831) Handbuch der Mineralogie, Nürnberg (as Chlorochalcit).

Lévy, A. (1838) 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: 3: 47.

Mohs, F. (1839) Aufangsgründe der Naturgeschichte des Mineralreichs. Part 1, introductory (1836); part 2 by F.X.M. Zippe (1839): 2: 177.

Breithaupt, A. (1841) Vollständige Handbuch der Mineralogie, Vol. 2: 165.

Brooke, H.J. and Miller, W.H. (1852) Introduction to Mineralogy by Wm. Phillips, London, 1823. New edition by Brooke and Miller. 8vo, London (as Remolinite).

Shepard (1856) American Journal of Science: 21: 206.

Dana (1857) American Journal of Science: 24: 122.

Tschermak (1873) Mineralogische und petrographische Mitteilungen, Vienna: 38.

Dana, E.S. (1892) System of Mineralogy, 6th. Edition, New York: 172.

Dupont and Jansen (1893) Bull. soc. chim. Paris: 9: 193.

Smith (1898) Mineralogical Magazine: 12: 22.

Mawson (1906) Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia: 30: 67.

Keller (1908) Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society: 47: 79.

Ford (1910) American Journal of Science: 30: 16.

Ungemach (1911) Bulletin de la Société française de Minéralogie: 34: 148.

Goldschmidt, V. (1913) Atlas der Krystallformen. 9 volumes, atlas, and text: vol. 1: 117.

Hintze, Carl (1915) Handbuch der Mineralogie. Berlin and Leipzig. 6 volumes: 1 [2B]: 2593.

Liffa and Tokody (1926) Centralblatt für Mineralogie, Geologie und Paleontologie, Stuttgart: 183.

Carobbi (1928) Acc. Napoli, Rend.: 34[3]: 78.

Buttgenbach (1929) Société géologique de Belgique, Publ. Congo Belge: 52: C65.

Thoreau and Verhulst (1938) Académie royale des sciences de Belgique, Brussels - Bulletin: 24: 716.

Brasseur and Toussant (1942) Bull. Soc. roy. Sc. Liége: 11: 555

Wells (1949) Acta Crystallographica: 2: 175.

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: 69-73.

Larsen, A. L. and Tripp, R. B. (1972): New X-ray data on natural atacamite. U.S. Geol. Surv. Prof. Paper 800B, 119-120.

Parise, J. B. and Hyde, B. G. (1986): The structure of atacamite and its relationship to spinel. Acta Crystallographica C42, 1277-1280.

Anthony, J.W., Bideaux, R.A., Bladh, K.W., and Nichols, M.C. (1997) Handbook of Mineralogy, Volume III. Halides, Hydroxides, Oxides. Mineral Data Publishing, Tucson, AZ, 628pp.: 29.

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    Localities for Atacamite

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