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Boulangerite

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Noche Buena Mine, Noche Buena, Mun. de Mazapil, Zacatecas, Mexico
© Eric Graff

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Formula:
Pb
 
5
Sb
 
4
S
 
11
System:MonoclinicColour:Lead grey
Lustre:MetallicHardness:2½ - 3
Name:After Charles Louis Boulanger (1810-1849), a French mining engineer.


Easily confused with jamesonite.
Homeotype of lopatkaite.

See also falkmanite.

Classification of Boulangerite

IMA status:Valid - first described prior to 1959 (pre-IMA) - "Grandfathered"
Strunz 8th edition ID:2/E.19-30
Nickel-Strunz 10th (pending) edition ID:2.HC.15

2 : SULFIDES and SULFOSALTS (sulfides, selenides, tellurides; arsenides, antimonides, bismuthides; sulfarsenites, sulfantimonites, sulfbismuthites, etc.)
H : Sulfosalts of SnS archetype
C : With only Pb
Dana 8th edition ID:3.5.2.1

3 : SULFOSALTS
5 : 2.5 < ø < 3
Hey's CIM Ref.:5.6.15

5 : Sulphosalts - Sulpharsenites and Sulphobismuthites (those containing Sn, Ge,or V are in Section 6)
6 : Sulpharsenites etc. of Pb alone
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Type Occurrence of Boulangerite

Type Locality:Molières, Gard, Languedoc-Roussillon, France
Year of Discovery:1837

Occurrences of Boulangerite

Geological Setting:Low to moderate temperature hydrothermal veins.

Physical Properties of Boulangerite

Lustre:Metallic
Diaphaneity (Transparency):Opaque
Comment:sometimes silky
Colour:Lead grey
Streak:Brownish
Hardness (Mohs):2½ - 3
Tenacity:Brittle
Cleavage:Distinct/Good
Distinct on {100}
Comment:Flexible in thin crystals
Density (measured):6.2 g/cm3
Density (calculated):6.21 g/cm3

Crystallography of Boulangerite

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}
Space Group Setting:P21/a
Cell Parameters:a = 21.56Å, b = 23.51Å, c = 8.09Å
β = 100.8°
Ratio:a:b:c = 0.917 : 1 : 0.344
Unit Cell Volume:V 4,027.99 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Z:8
Morphology:Needle like crystals, rarely rings, fibrous, compact masses.
X-Ray Powder Diffraction:
Image Loading

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

Optical Data of Boulangerite

Type:Anisotropic
Anisotropism:Distinct
Pleochroism:Weak

Chemical Properties of Boulangerite

Formula:
Pb
 
5
Sb
 
4
S
 
11
Essential elements:Pb, S, Sb
All elements listed in formula:Pb, S, Sb
Common Impurities:Cu,Zn,Sn,Fe

Relationship of Boulangerite to other Species

Common Associates:
StibniteSphaleriteSideriteQuartzPyrite
GalenaArsenopyrite
Related Minerals - Nickel-Strunz Grouping):

- +
2.HC.05bBaumhauerite-2a
Pb
 
11
Ag(As,Sb)
 
18
S
 
36
2.HC.05bBaumhauerite
Pb
 
12
As
 
16
S
 
36
2.HC.05eChabournéite
Tl
 
21-x
Pb
 
2x
(Sb,As)
 
91-x
S
 
147
 (x = 0-17.5)
2.HC.05dDufrénoysite
Pb
 
2
As
 
2
S
 
5
2.HC.05aGuettardite
Pb(Sb,As)
 
2
S
 
4
2.HC.05cLiveingite
Pb
 
9
As
 
13
S
 
28
2.HC.05fParapierrotite
Tl(Sb,As)
 
5
S
 
8
2.HC.05fPierrotite
Tl
 
2
Sb
 
6
As
 
4
S
 
16
2.HC.05dRathite
Pb
 
8
Pb
 
4-x
(Tl
 
2
As
 
2
)
 
x
(Ag
 
2
As
 
2
)As
 
16
S
 
40
2.HC.05aSartorite
PbAs
 
2
S
 
4
2.HC.05aTwinnite
Pb(Sb,As)
 
2
S
 
4
2.HC.05dVeenite
Pb
 
2
(Sb,As)
 
2
S
 
5
2.HC.05gMarumoite
Pb
 
32
As
 
40
S
 
92
2.HC.05eDalnegroite
(Tl
 
4
Pb
 
2
)(As
 
12
Sb
 
8
)S
 
34
2.HC.10aFülöppite
Pb
 
3
Sb
 
8
S
 
15
2.HC.10cHeteromorphite
Pb
 
7
Sb
 
8
S
 
19
2.HC.10bPlagionite
Pb
 
5
Sb
 
8
S
 
17
2.HC.10dRayite
Pb
 
8
(Ag,Tl)
 
2
Sb
 
8
S
 
21
2.HC.10dSemseyite
Pb
 
9
Sb
 
8
S
 
21
2.HC.15Falkmanite
Pb
 
5.4
Sb
 
3.6
S
 
11
2.HC.15Plumosite
2.HC.20Robinsonite
Pb
 
4
Sb
 
6
S
 
13
2.HC.25Moëloite
Pb
 
6
Sb
 
6
S
 
14
(S
 
3
)
2.HC.30Dadsonite
Pb
 
23
Sb
 
25
S
 
60
Cl
2.HC.35Owyheeite
Ag
 
3+x
Pb
 
10-2x
Sb
 
11+x
S
 
28
, -0.13 < x > +0.20
2.HC.35Zoubekite
AgPb
 
4
Sb
 
4
S
 
10
2.HC.40Parasterryite
Ag
 
4
Pb
 
20
Sb
 
14
As
 
10
S
 
58
Related Minerals - Hey's Index Grouping:

- +
5.6.1Sartorite
PbAs
 
2
S
 
4
5.6.2Dufrénoysite
Pb
 
2
As
 
2
S
 
5
5.6.3Liveingite
Pb
 
9
As
 
13
S
 
28
5.6.4Baumhauerite
Pb
 
12
As
 
16
S
 
36
5.6.5Gratonite
Pb
 
9
As
 
4
S
 
15
5.6.6Jordanite
Pb
 
14
(As,Sb)
 
6
S
 
23
5.6.7Fülöppite
Pb
 
3
Sb
 
8
S
 
15
5.6.8Zinkenite
Pb
 
9
Sb
 
22
S
 
42
5.6.9Plagionite
Pb
 
5
Sb
 
8
S
 
17
5.6.10Heteromorphite
Pb
 
7
Sb
 
8
S
 
19
5.6.11Launayite
Pb
 
22
Sb
 
26
S
 
61
5.6.12Playfairite
Pb
 
16
Sb
 
18
S
 
43
5.6.13Semseyite
Pb
 
9
Sb
 
8
S
 
21
5.6.14Madocite
Pb
 
17
Sb
 
16
S
 
41
5.6.17Robinsonite
Pb
 
4
Sb
 
6
S
 
13
5.6.18Guettardite
Pb(Sb,As)
 
2
S
 
4
5.6.19Twinnite
Pb(Sb,As)
 
2
S
 
4
5.6.20Veenite
Pb
 
2
(Sb,As)
 
2
S
 
5
5.6.21Sorbyite
CuPb
 
9
(Sb,As)
 
11
S
 
26
5.6.22Geocronite
Pb
 
14
(Sb,As)
 
6
S
 
23
5.6.23Galenobismutite
PbBi
 
2
S
 
4
5.6.24Cosalite
Pb
 
2
Bi
 
2
S
 
5
5.6.25Cannizzarite
Pb
 
4
Bi
 
6
S
 
13
5.6.26Lillianite
Pb
 
3-2x
Ag
 
x
Bi
 
2+x
S
 
6
5.6.27Giessenite
Pb
 
27
Cu
 
2
(Bi,Sb)
 
19
S
 
57
5.6.28Platynite
5.6.29Xilingolite
Pb
 
3
Bi
 
2
S
 
6
5.6.30Weibullite
Pb
 
5
Bi
 
8
Se
 
7
S
 
11
5.6.31Wittite
Pb
 
9
Bi
 
12
(S,Se)
 
27
5.6.32Kirkiite
Pb
 
10
Bi
 
3
As
 
3
S
 
19
5.6.33Ustarasite
Pb(Bi,Sb)
 
6
S
 
10
 (?)

Other Names for Boulangerite

Synonyms:
Acicular boulangeriteBolideniteEmbrithiteEpiboulangeriteMullanite
OrlandinitePlomb antimonié sulfuréPlumbostibPlumbostibiitePlumites
Yenerite
Other Languages:
Catalan:Boulangerita
Czech:Boulangerit
Dutch:Boulangeriet
German:Antimonbleiblende
Bolidenit
Boulangerit
Embrithit
Epiboulangerit
Mullanit
Orlandinit
Plumbostibit
Schwefelantimonblei
Yenerit
Italian:Boulangerite
Russian:Буланжерит
Serbian (Cyrillic Script):Боланжерит
Simplified Chinese:硫锑铅矿
块硫锑铅矿
Slovak:Boulangerit
Spanish:Bolidenita
Boulangerita
Embrithita
Epiboulangerita
Mullanita
Orlandinita
Yenerita
Ukrainian:Буланжерит
Varieties:
Cuprian Boulangerite

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 Boulangerite

Reference List:

- +
Boulanger, C. (1835), Sur un sulfure double d'antimoine et de plombe de Molières, Départment du Gard. Ann. Mines, 7: 575-582.

Breithaupt, A. (1837), Embrithite, Plumbostib. J. pr. Chem., 10: 442.

Shannon, E.V. (1921) Additional notes on the crystallography and composition of boulangerite. American Journal of Science, 5th. series: 1: 423-426.

Berry, L. G. (1940), Studies of mineral sulpho-salts III. - Boulangerite and "Epiboulangerite". Univ. Toronto Studies, Geol. Ser., 44: 5-19.

Palache, Charles, Harry Berman & Clifford Frondel (1944), The System of Mineralogy of James Dwight Dana and Edward Salisbury Dana Yale University 1837-1892, Seventh edition, Volume I: 420-422.

Robinson, S. C. (1948), The identity of falkmanite and yenerite with boulangerite. American Mineralogist, 33: 716-723.

Garavelli, C. L. (1957), Contributo alla conoscenza della boulangerite. Atti Società Toscana Scienze Naturali, Memorie, 64: 133-151.

Born, L., & Hellner, E., (1960), A structural proposal for boulangerite. American Mineralogist, 45: 1266-1271.

Dornberger-Schiff, K., & Hohne, E. (1962), Zur Symmetrie des Boulangerites. Chem. d. Erde, 22: 78-82.

Petrova, I. V., Kuznetsov, A. I., Belokoneva, E. A., Symonov, M. A., Pobedimskaya, E. A., & Belov, N. V. (1978), On the crystal structure of boulangerite. Dokl. Acad. Nauk SSSR, 242: 337-340 (in Russian).

Mozgova, N. N., & Bortnikov, N. S. (1980), On non-stoichiometry of the acicular lead sulphantimonites. In: Geochimija. Mineralogija - Moscow, Nauka. 126-138 (in Russian).

Mumme, W. (1989), The crystal structure of Pb5.05(Sb3.75Bi0.28)S10.72Se0.28: boulangerite of near ideal composition. Neues Jahrbuch für Mineralogie, Monatshefte, 1989, 11: 498-512.

Criddle, A.J. and C.J. Stanley, Editors (1993) Quantitative data file for ore minerals, 3rd. edition. Chapman & Hall, London.

Internet Links for Boulangerite

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  • Raman and XRD data at RRUFF project
  • American Mineralogist Crystal Structure Database
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