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Butlerite

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Copiapó Province, Atacama Region, Chile
© 2005 - MMI

Show Butlerite Photos (5)
Formula:
Fe
3+
 
[OH|SO
 
4
] · 2H
 
2
O
System:MonoclinicColour:Dark orange; light ...
Hardness:2½
Name:After Gurdon Montague Butler (1881-1961), mining geologist, University of Arizona.
This page provides mineralogical data about Butlerite.

Classification of Butlerite

IMA status:Valid - first described prior to 1959 (pre-IMA) - "Grandfathered"
Strunz 8th edition ID:6/D.01-20
Nickel-Strunz 10th (pending) edition ID:7.DC.10

7 : SULFATES (selenates, tellurates, chromates, molybdates, wolframates)
D : Sulfates (selenates, etc.) with additional anions, with H2O
C : With only medium-sized cations; chains of edge-sharing octahedra
Dana 8th edition ID:31.9.1.1

31 : HYDRATED SULFATES CONTAINING HYDROXYL OR HALOGEN
9 : (AB)(XO4)Zq·xH2O
Hey's CIM Ref.:25.10.15

25 : Sulphates
10 : Sulphates of Fe alone
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Type Occurrence of Butlerite

Type Locality:United Verde Mine (The Big Hole; Big Hole property; Hull Mine; Hopewell tunnel; Patented claim 3480; Patented claim 2812; Patented claims 3348), Jerome, Verde District, Black Hills (Black Hill Range), Yavapai Co., Arizona, USA
Year of Discovery:1928

Occurrences of Butlerite

Geological Setting:Oxidation of pyritic ore; may be formed under fumarolic
conditions from mine fires.

Physical Properties of Butlerite

Lustre:Vitreous
Diaphaneity (Transparency):Translucent
Colour:Dark orange; light yellow-orange in transmitted light.
Streak:Pale yellow
Hardness (Mohs):2½
Cleavage:Perfect
On {100}, perfect.
Density (measured):2.55 g/cm3
Density (calculated):2.53 g/cm3

Crystallography of Butlerite

Crystal System:Monoclinic
Class (H-M):2/m - Prismatic
Space Group:P21/m {P1 1 21/m} {P21/m} {P1 21/m 1}
Cell Parameters:a = 6.51Å, b = 7.37Å, c = 5.85Å
β = 108.87°
Ratio:a:b:c = 0.883 : 1 : 0.794
Unit Cell Volume:V 265.59 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Morphology:Crystals commonly tabular {001} or {100} with a propensity for elongation [010]; also octahedral (anthropogenic).
Twinning:Very common on {105}.

Epitaxial Relationships of Butlerite

Epitaxial Minerals:
Parabutlerite
Epitaxi Comments:Oriented growths.

Optical Data of Butlerite

Type:Biaxial (+/-)
RI values: nα = 1.593 - 1.604 nβ = 1.665 - 1.674 nγ = 1.731 - 1.741
Maximum Birefringence:δ = 0.138

Chart shows birefringence interference colour range (at 30µm thickness) and does not take into account mineral colouration.
Surface Relief:High
Dispersion:r < v weak
Pleochroism:Visible
Comments:X ^c - 18° = Colourless
Y = Faint yellow
Z = b = Light yellow
Comments:2V large.

Chemical Properties of Butlerite

Formula:
Fe
3+
 
[OH|SO
 
4
] · 2H
 
2
O
Essential elements:Fe, H, O, S
All elements listed in formula:Fe, H, O, S

Relationship of Butlerite to other Species

Related Minerals - Nickel-Strunz Grouping):

- +
7.DC.05Aluminite
Al
 
2
[(OH)
 
4
|SO
 
4
] · 7H
 
2
O
7.DC.05Meta-aluminite
Al
 
2
[(OH)
 
4
|SO
 
4
] · 5H
 
2
O
7.DC.10Parabutlerite
Fe
3+
 
[OH|SO
 
4
] · 2H
 
2
O
7.DC.15Fibroferrite
Fe
3+
 
[OH|SO
 
4
] · 5H
 
2
O
7.DC.20Xitieshanite
Fe
3+
 
[Cl|SO
 
4
] · 6H
 
2
O
7.DC.25Botryogen
MgFe
3+
 
[OH|(SO
 
4
)
 
2
] · 7H
 
2
O
7.DC.25Zincobotryogen
(Zn,Mg,Mn
2+
 
)Fe
3+
 
[OH|(SO
 
4
)
 
2
] · 7H
 
2
O
7.DC.30Chaidamuite
ZnFe(SO
 
4
)
 
2
(OH)·4H
 
2
O
7.DC.30Guildite
CuFe
3+
 
[OH|(SO
 
4
)
 
2
] · 4H
 
2
O
Related Minerals - Hey's Index Grouping:

- +
25.10.1Szomolnokite
FeSO
 
4
·H
 
2
O
25.10.2Rozenite
FeSO
 
4
·4H
 
2
O
25.10.3Siderotil
FeSO
 
4
·5H
 
2
O
25.10.4Ferrohexahydrite
FeSO
 
4
·6H
 
2
O
25.10.5Melanterite
FeSO
 
4
·7H
 
2
O
25.10.6Rhomboclase
(H
 
5
O
 
2
)Fe
3+
 
(SO
 
4
)
 
2
·2H
 
2
O
25.10.7Lausenite
Fe
 
2
(SO
 
4
)
 
3
·6H
 
2
O
25.10.8Kornelite
Fe
 
2
(SO
 
4
)
 
3
·7H
 
2
O
25.10.9Coquimbite
Fe
 
2
(SO
 
4
)
 
3
·9H
 
2
O
25.10.10Paracoquimbite
Fe
 
2
(SO
 
4
)
 
3
·9H
 
2
O
25.10.11Quenstedtite
Fe
 
2
(SO
 
4
)
 
3
·10H
 
2
O
25.10.12Ferricopiapite
Fe
 
5
(SO
 
4
)
 
6
O(OH)·20H
 
2
O
25.10.13Metahohmannite
Fe
3+
2
[O|(SO
 
4
)
 
2
] · 4H
 
2
O
25.10.14Hohmannite
Fe
3+
2
[O|(SO
 
4
)
 
2
] · 8H
 
2
O
25.10.16Parabutlerite
Fe
3+
 
[OH|SO
 
4
] · 2H
 
2
O
25.10.17Amarantite
Fe
3+
2
[O|(SO
 
4
)
 
2
] · 7H
 
2
O
25.10.18Fibroferrite
Fe
3+
 
[OH|SO
 
4
] · 5H
 
2
O
25.10.19Hydroniumjarosite
(H
 
3
O)Fe
3+
3
(SO
 
4
)
 
2
(OH)
 
6
25.10.20Römerite
Fe
2+
 
Fe
3+
2
(SO
 
4
)
 
4
·14H
 
2
O
25.10.21Bílinite
Fe
2+
 
Fe
3+
2
(SO
 
4
)
 
4
·22H
 
2
O
25.10.22Copiapite
Fe
2+
 
Fe
3+
4
[OH|(SO
 
4
)
 
3
]
 
2
 · 20H
 
2
O

Other Names for Butlerite

Other Languages:
German:Butlerit
Russian:Бутлерит
Spanish:Butlerita

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 Butlerite

Reference List:Posnjak and Merwin (1912) Journal of the American Chemical Society: 44: 1978.

Lausen (1928) American Mineralogist: 13: 203-229.

Bandy (1938) American Mineralogist: 23: 742.

Gordon (1941) Academy of Sciences, Philadelphia, Not. Nat., no. 89.

Palache, C., Berman, H., & Frondel, C. (1951), The System of Mineralogy of James Dwight Dana and Edward Salisbury Dana, Yale University 1837-1892, Volume II. John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York, 7th edition, revised and enlarged, 1124 pp.: 608-609.

American Mineralogist (1971): 56: 751-757.

Internet Links for Butlerite

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    Localities for Butlerite

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