Wulffite
A valid IMA mineral species
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About Wulffite
Georgiy V. Wulff
Formula:
K3NaCu4O2(SO4)4
Colour:
Dark green with bluish hue or deep emerald-green.
Lustre:
Vitreous
Hardness:
2½
Specific Gravity:
3.23
Crystal System:
Orthorhombic
Name:
Named in honor of the Russian crystallographer Georgiy Viktorovich Wulff (22 June 1863, Nizhyn (Russian Empire, nowadays Ukraine) – 25 December 1925, Moscow), who suggested the model of X-ray interference in crystals (1913).
Related to parawulffite in terms of both chemistry and structure. One of 4 K-Na-Cu sulfate minerals beside euchlorine, parawulffite, and piypite.
Structure details: (1) the heteropolyhedral quasi-framework of Cu–O–S, along [010], and NaO6 octahedra chains ; (2) Cu–O–S chains comprise Cu-centered square pyramids ([4+1] coordination of Cu) and sulfate tetrahedra; (3) different ratios of alkali cations and their arrangement in cavities of the quasi-framework when compared to parawulffite; (4) different configuration of Cu–O–S chains than that in parawulffite.
Structure details: (1) the heteropolyhedral quasi-framework of Cu–O–S, along [010], and NaO6 octahedra chains ; (2) Cu–O–S chains comprise Cu-centered square pyramids ([4+1] coordination of Cu) and sulfate tetrahedra; (3) different ratios of alkali cations and their arrangement in cavities of the quasi-framework when compared to parawulffite; (4) different configuration of Cu–O–S chains than that in parawulffite.
Unique Identifiers
Mindat ID:
43897
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:1:43897:1
GUID
(UUID V4):
(UUID V4):
e39dc0db-68d6-4220-a2a8-5cddf981fb69
IMA Classification of Wulffite
Approved
Approval year:
2013
Classification of Wulffite
7.BC.60
7 : SULFATES (selenates, tellurates, chromates, molybdates, wolframates)
B : Sulfates (selenates, etc.) with additional anions, without H2O
C : With medium-sized and large cations
7 : SULFATES (selenates, tellurates, chromates, molybdates, wolframates)
B : Sulfates (selenates, etc.) with additional anions, without H2O
C : With medium-sized and large cations
Mineral Symbols
As of 2021 there are now IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols (abbreviations) for each mineral species, useful for tables and diagrams.
| Symbol | Source | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Wlf | IMA–CNMNC | Warr, L.N. (2021). IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols. Mineralogical Magazine, 85(3), 291-320. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43 |
Physical Properties of Wulffite
Vitreous
Transparency:
Transparent
Colour:
Dark green with bluish hue or deep emerald-green.
Streak:
Light green
Hardness:
2½ on Mohs scale
Cleavage:
Perfect
2 perfect cleavages || elongation; additional one, coplanar to (010)
2 perfect cleavages || elongation; additional one, coplanar to (010)
Fracture:
Step-Like
Density:
3.23(2) g/cm3 (Measured) 3.19 g/cm3 (Calculated)
Optical Data of Wulffite
Type:
Biaxial (+)
RI values:
nα = 1.582(3) nβ = 1.610(3) nγ = 1.715(3)
2V:
Calculated: 58°
Max Birefringence:
δ = 0.133
Image shows birefringence interference colour range (at 30µm thickness)
and does not take into account mineral colouration.
and does not take into account mineral colouration.
Surface Relief:
Moderate
Pleochroism:
Strong
Comments:
emerald-green (Z), medium-saturation green (Y), Z > Y
Chemistry of Wulffite
Mindat Formula:
K3NaCu4O2(SO4)4
Common Impurities:
Rb,Cs
Crystallography of Wulffite
Crystal System:
Orthorhombic
Class (H-M):
mm2 - Pyramidal
Cell Parameters:
a = 14.2810(6) Å, b = 4.9478(2) Å, c = 24.113(1) Å
Ratio:
a:b:c = 2.886 : 1 : 4.873
Unit Cell V:
1703.79 ų
Z:
4
Morphology:
coarse prismatic crystals up to 1.2 × 2 mm, in clusters and crusts; [010] elongation
Comment:
Space group is Pn21a
X-Ray Powder Diffraction
Powder Diffraction Data:
| d-spacing | Intensity |
|---|---|
| 9.27 Å | (100) |
| 7.16 Å | (22) |
| 3.125 Å | (16) |
| 2.882 Å | (16) |
| 2.780 Å | (33) |
| 2.725 Å | (14) |
| 2.472 Å | (20) |
| 2.366 Å | (13) |
Comments:
From Type Description.
Geological Environment
Paragenetic Mode(s):
| Paragenetic Mode | Earliest Age (Ga) |
|---|---|
| Stage 7: Great Oxidation Event | <2.4 |
| 45a : [Sulfates, arsenates, selenates, antimonates] |
Type Occurrence of Wulffite
General Appearance of Type Material:
prisms
Place of Conservation of Type Material:
Type material is deposited in the collections of the Fersman Mineralogical Museum of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia, registration number 4385/1
Geological Setting of Type Material:
incrustations on (1) basaltic scoria, (2) tenorite or (3) aphthitalite
Associated Minerals at Type Locality:
Synonyms of Wulffite
Common Associates
Associated Minerals Based on Photo Data:
| 1 photo of Wulffite associated with Kozyrevskite | Cu4O(AsO4)2 |
Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat Grouping
| 7.BC. | Adranosite-(Fe) | (NH4)4NaFe3+2(SO4)4Cl(OH)2 |
| 7.BC. | Adranosite | (NH4)4NaAl2(SO4)4Cl(OH)2 |
| 7.BC. | D'Ansite-(Mn) | Na21Mn2+(SO4)10Cl3 |
| 7.BC. | Agaite | Pb3CuTeO5(OH)2(CO3) |
| 7.BC. | D'Ansite-(Fe) | Na21Fe2+(SO4)10Cl3 |
| 7.BC. | Acmonidesite | (NH4,K,Pb)8NaFe2+4(SO4)5Cl8 |
| 7.BC. | Backite | Pb2AlTeO6Cl |
| 7.BC. | Hagstromite | Pb8Cu2+(Te6+O6)2(CO3)Cl4 |
| 7.BC. | Wildcatite | CaFe3+Te6+O5(OH) |
| 7.BC. | Franksousaite | PbCu(Se6+O4)(OH)2 |
| 7.BC. | Zincochenite | Pb4Zn(OH)6(SO4)2 |
| 7.BC. | Viskontite | Pb5Cu2(SO4)3(SeO3)(OH)6 |
| 7.BC.05 | D'Ansite | Na21Mg(SO4)10Cl3 |
| 7.BC.07 | Apatelite | Fe3(SO4)2(OH)5 · 0.5H2O |
| 7.BC.07 | Unnamed (Ba-Fe Vanadate) | Ba, Fe, V, O, H |
| 7.BC.10 | Alunite | KAl3(SO4)2(OH)6 |
| 7.BC.10 | Ammonioalunite | (NH4)Al3(SO4)2(OH)6 |
| 7.BC.10 | Ammoniojarosite | (NH4)Fe3+3(SO4)2(OH)6 |
| 7.BC.10 | Argentojarosite | AgFe3+3(SO4)2(OH)6 |
| 7.BC.10 | Beaverite-(Cu) | Pb(Fe3+2Cu)(SO4)2(OH)6 |
| 7.BC.10 | Dorallcharite | TlFe3+3(SO4)2(OH)6 |
| 7.BC.10 | Huangite | Ca0.5Al3(SO4)2(OH)6 |
| 7.BC.10 | Hydroniumjarosite | (H3O)Fe3+3(SO4)2(OH)6 |
| 7.BC.10 | Jarosite | KFe3+3(SO4)2(OH)6 |
| 7.BC.10 | Natroalunite-2c | (Na,Ca0.5,K)Al3(SO4)2(OH)6 |
| 7.BC.10 | Natroalunite | NaAl3(SO4)2(OH)6 |
| 7.BC.10 | Natrojarosite | NaFe3(SO4)2(OH)6 |
| 7.BC.10 | Osarizawaite | Pb(Al2Cu2+)(SO4)2(OH)6 |
| 7.BC.10 | Plumbojarosite | Pb0.5Fe3+3(SO4)2(OH)6 |
| 7.BC.10 | Schlossmacherite | (H3O)Al3(SO4)2(OH)6 |
| 7.BC.10 | Walthierite | Ba0.5Al3(SO4)2(OH)6 |
| 7.BC.10 | Beaverite-(Zn) | Pb(Fe3+2Zn)(SO4)2(OH)6 |
| 7.BC.15 | Ye'elimite | Ca4Al6(SO4)O12 |
| 7.BC.20 | Atlasovite | K(BiO)Cu6Fe3+(SO4)5O3Cl |
| 7.BC.20 | Nabokoite | KCu7(SO4)5(Te4+O3)OCl |
| 7.BC.20 | Puninite | Na2Cu3O(SO4)3 |
| 7.BC.25 | Chlorothionite | K2Cu(SO4)Cl2 |
| 7.BC.30 | Euchlorine | KNaCu3(SO4)3O |
| 7.BC.30 | Fedotovite | K2Cu3(SO4)3O |
| 7.BC.35 | Kamchatkite | KCu3(SO4)2OCl |
| 7.BC.40 | Piypite | K4Cu4O2(SO4)4 · (Na,Cu)Cl |
| 7.BC.45 | Klyuchevskite | K3Cu3(Fe3+,Al)(SO4)4O2 |
| 7.BC.45 | Alumoklyuchevskite | K3Cu3(Al,Fe3+)(SO4)4O2 |
| 7.BC.45 | Belousovite | KZn(SO4)Cl |
| 7.BC.47 | Müllerite | Pb2Fe3+(Te6+O6)Cl |
| 7.BC.50 | Caledonite | Pb5Cu2(SO4)3(CO3)(OH)6 |
| 7.BC.50 | Elasmochloite | Na3Cu6BiO4(SO4)5 |
| 7.BC.52 | Eleomelanite | (K2Pb)Cu4O2(SO4)4 |
| 7.BC.55 | Wherryite | Pb7Cu2(SO4)4(SiO4)2(OH)2 |
| 7.BC.55 | Falgarite | K4(VO)3(SO4)5 |
| 7.BC.57 | Krasheninnikovite | KNa2CaMg(SO4)3F |
| 7.BC.60 | Mammothite | Pb6Cu4AlSb5+O2(OH)16Cl4(SO4)2 |
| 7.BC.60 | Parawulffite | K5Na3Cu8O4(SO4)8 |
| 7.BC.62 | Shuvalovite | K2(Ca2Na)(SO4)3F |
| 7.BC.65 | Linarite | PbCu(SO4)(OH)2 |
| 7.BC.65 | Schmiederite | Pb2Cu2(Se6+O4)(Se4+O3)(OH)4 |
| 7.BC.65 | Munakataite | Pb2Cu2(Se4+O3)(SO4)(OH)4 |
| 7.BC.65 | Therasiaite | (NH4)3KNa2Fe2+Fe3+(SO4)3Cl5 |
| 7.BC.65 | Saccoite | Ca2Mn3+2F(OH)8 · 0.5(SO4) |
| 7.BC.70 | Chenite | Pb4Cu(SO4)2(OH)6 |
| 7.BC.75 | Krivovichevite | Pb3Al(OH)6(SO4)(OH) |
| 7.BC.80 | Anhydrokainite | KMg(SO4)Cl |
Other Information
IR Spectrum:
[cm-1]: ~1223, 1198, 1153s, 1118s (asymmetric stretching of sulfate), 1026s, 989s (symmetric stretching of sulfate), 671, 645sh, 635, 612 (bending of sulfate), 535sh, 511 (lattice modes: stretching of shorter bonds in Cu-centered polyhedra and
Notes:
slowly dissolves in RT water
Health Risks:
No information on health risks for this material has been entered into the database. You should always treat mineral specimens with care.
Internet Links for Wulffite
mindat.org URL:
https://www.mindat.org/min-43897.html
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External Links:
References for Wulffite
Reference List:
Williams, P. A., Hatert, F., Pasero, M., Mills, S. J. (2013) New minerals and nomenclature modifications approved in 2013. CNMNC Newsletter No.17. Mineralogical Magazine, 77 (7) 2997-3005 doi:10.1180/minmag.2013.077.7.09
Pekov, I. V., Zubkova, N. V., Yapaskurt, V. O., Belakovskiy, D. I., Chukanov, N. V., Lykova, I. S., Savelyev, D. P., Sidorov, E. G., Pushcharovsky, D. Y. (2014) Wulffite, K3NaCu4O2(SO4)4, and parawulffite, K5Na3Cu8O4(SO4)8, two new minerals from fumarole sublimates of the Tolbachik Volcano, Kamchatka, Russia. The Canadian Mineralogist, 52 (4) 699-716 doi:10.3749/canmin.1400018
Localities for Wulffite
symbol to view information about a locality.
The Locality List
- This locality has map coordinates listed.
- This locality has estimated coordinates.
ⓘ - Click for references and further information on this occurrence.
? - Indicates mineral may be doubtful at this locality.
- Good crystals or important locality for species.
- World class for species or very significant.
(TL) - Type Locality for a valid mineral species.
(FRL) - First Recorded Locality for everything else (eg varieties).
All localities listed without proper references should be considered as questionable.
Russia (TL) | |
| Williams et al. (2013) +2 other references |
| Zelenski et al. (2020) |
Quick NavTopAbout WulffiteUnique IdentifiersIMA Classification Classification Mineral SymbolsPhysical Properties Optical Data Chemistry Crystallography X-Ray Powder DiffractionGeological EnvironmentType Occurrence SynonymsCommon AssociatesStrunz-MindatOther InformationInternet Links References Localities Locality List
Arsenatnaya fumarole, Second scoria cone, Northern Breakthrough, Great Fissure eruption, Tolbachik Volcanic field, Milkovsky District, Kamchatka Krai, Russia