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Nantokite

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Avissalos (slag locality), Serifos Island (Seriphos), Cyclade Islands (Cyclades; Kikladhes; Nomos Kikladhon), Kykládes Prefecture, Aegean Islands (Aiyaíon) Department, Greece

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Formula:
CuCl
System:IsometricColour:Colourless, white to ...
Lustre:AdamantineHardness:2 - 2½
Name:For the locality at Nantoko, Copiapó, Chile.


A rare anhydrous copper chloride, known only from arid environments and slags (as tetrahedral crystals). Colourless and transparent when fresh.

Classification of Nantokite

IMA status:Valid - first described prior to 1959 (pre-IMA) - "Grandfathered"
Strunz 8th edition ID:3/A.01-10
Nickel-Strunz 10th (pending) edition ID:3.AA.05

3 : HALIDES
A : Simple halides, without H2O
A : M:X = 1:1, 2:3, 3:5, etc.
Dana 8th edition ID:9.1.7.1

9 : NORMAL HALIDES
1 : AX
Hey's CIM Ref.:8.2.1

8 : Halides - Fluorides, Chlorides, Bromides and Iodides; also Fluoborates and Fluosilicates
2 : Halides of Cu
mindat.org URL:http://www.mindat.org/min-2840.html
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Type Occurrence of Nantokite

Type Locality:Carmen Bajo Mine, Nantoko, Copiapó Province, Atacama Region, Chile
Year of Discovery:1868

Physical Properties of Nantokite

Lustre:Adamantine
Diaphaneity (Transparency):Transparent
Colour:Colourless, white to greyish, greenish
Streak:White
Hardness (Mohs):2 - 2½
Tenacity:Sectile
Cleavage:Distinct/Good
On {011}.
Fracture:Conchoidal
Density (measured):3.93 - 4.3 g/cm3
Density (calculated):4.22 g/cm3

Crystallography of Nantokite

Crystal System:Isometric
Class (H-M):4 3m - Hextetrahedral
Space Group:F4 3m
Cell Parameters:a = 5.407Å
Unit Cell Volume:V 158.08 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Z:4
Morphology:Massive, granular

Optical Data of Nantokite

Type:Isotropic
RI values: n = 1.930(5)
Birefringence:Anomalously anisotropic
Maximum Birefringence:δ = 0.000 - Isotropic minerals have no birefringence
Surface Relief:Very High
Comments:On synthetic material.

Chemical Properties of Nantokite

Formula:
CuCl
Essential elements:Cl, Cu
All elements listed in formula:Cl, Cu
Analytical Data:Alters superficially to paratacamite when exposed in air.
Relationship of Nantokite to other Species
Related Minerals - Nickel-Strunz Grouping):

- + 
3.AA.05Marshite
CuI
3.AA.05Miersite
(Ag,Cu)I
3.AA.05UM1999-11:I:CuS
Cu(I,S)
3.AA.10Iodargyrite
AgI
3.AA.10Tocornalite
(Ag,Hg)I
3.AA.15Bromargyrite
AgBr
3.AA.15Chlorargyrite
AgCl
3.AA.20Carobbiite
KF
3.AA.20Griceite
LiF
3.AA.20Halite
NaCl
3.AA.20Sylvite
KCl
3.AA.20Villiaumite
NaF
3.AA.25Salammoniac
NH
 
4
Cl
3.AA.25UM1998-03-Cl:Tl
TlCl
3.AA.25Lafossaite
Tl(Cl,Br)
3.AA.30Calomel
Hg
 
2
Cl
 
2
3.AA.30Kuzminite
Hg
 
2
(Br,Cl)
 
2
3.AA.30Moschelite
Hg
 
2
I
 
2
3.AA.35Neighborite
NaMgF
 
3
3.AA.40Chlorocalcite
KCaCl
 
3
3.AA.45Kolarite
PbTeCl
 
2
3.AA.50Radhakrishnaite
PbTe
 
3
(Cl,S)
 
2
3.AA.55Challacolloite
KPb
 
2
Cl
 
5
3.AA.60Hephaistosite
TlPb
 
2
Cl
 
5
Related Minerals - Hey's Index Grouping:

- + 
8.2.2Tolbachite
CuCl
 
2
8.2.3Eriochalcite
CuCl
 
2
·2H
 
2
O
8.2.4Atacamite
Cu
 
2
[(OH)
 
3
|Cl]
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 Nantokite
Synonyms:
Kupferchlorür
Other Languages:
German:Nantokit
Russian:Нантокит
Spanish:Nantokita
Nantoquita
Other Information
Special Storage/
Display Requirements:		 Unstable in humid air, and transforms slowly into greenish secondary Cu-hydroxchlorides. Alters to paratacamite on exposure.
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 Nantokite
Reference List:Breithaupt (1868) B.H. Zeitung: 27: 3.



Breithaupt (1872) Jb. Min.: 814.



Armstrong ad Carmichael (1894) Proceedings of the Royal Society of New South Wales: 28: 96.



Wyckoff and Posnjak (1922) Journal of theAmerican Chemical Society: 44: 30.



Barth and Lunde (1925) Norsk Geol. Tidsskr.: 8: 281.



Palache, Charles, Harry Berman & Clifford Frondel (1951), The System of Mineralogy of James Dwight Dana and Edward Salisbury Dana Yale University 1837-1892, Seventh edition, Volume II: 18-19.
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