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Bornite

A valid IMA mineral species - grandfathered
This page kindly sponsored by Mark Kucera
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About BorniteHide

05119320014946260379425.jpg
Ignaz von Born
Formula:
Cu5FeS4
Colour:
Copper-red to pinchbeck-brown, quickly tarnishing to an iridescent purplish surface.
Lustre:
Metallic
Hardness:
3
Specific Gravity:
5.06 - 5.09
Crystal System:
Orthorhombic
Name:
Originally included with kupferkies in 1725 by Johann Friedrich Henckel. Later assigned various multi-word Latin names by Johan Gottschalk Wallerius in 1747 and variously further translated including "purple copper ore" and "variegated copper ore" in 1802 by Rene Just Haüy. Also called as buntkupfererz by Abraham Gottlieb Werner in 1791. Named "phillipsite" in 1832 by Wilhelm Sulpice Beudant. Renamed as bornite in 1845 by Wilhelm Karl von Haidinger in honor of Ignaz von Born (1742-1791), Austrian mineralogist and invertebrate zoologist.
An important copper ore, typically found as massive or disseminated metallic grains and patches in sulphide ore deposits; relatively rare as good euhedral crystals.

It has a copper-reddish colour on fresh exposures which quickly tarnishes to a pinkish grey, through to an iridescent purple, crimson or blue and eventually black, after exposure to air and moisture, due to formation of very thin coatings of more oxidised minerals.

It may be confused with other iridescent minerals, especially iridescently tarnished chalcopyrite, both often termed “peacock ore” when exhibiting such a tarnish.

Bornite is a copper(I) iron sulphide, with Fe likely predominantly being trivalent, although with some charge transfer likely possible (Goh et al. 2006). Substantial variation in the relative amounts of copper and iron occurs and solid solution extends towards chalcopyrite (CuFeS2) and digenite (Cu9S5). In the Zechstein deposits of Poland there are two copper-deficient varieties defined: half-bornite and quatr-bornite, about 50 and 75% deficient in iron respectively.

A decomposition product of bornite is idaite.

In terms of crystallochemistry, at temperatures above 228 °C, the crystal structure of bornite is isometric with copper and iron atoms randomly distributed but with cooling, the Fe and Cu become ordered, and symmetry is reduced to orthorhombic.



Unique IdentifiersHide

Mindat ID:
727
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:1:727:6
GUID
(UUID V4):
8f02f7e9-d7be-476c-84e5-77ec642cb052

IMA Classification of BorniteHide

Approved, 'Grandfathered' (first described prior to 1959)

Classification of BorniteHide

2.BA.15

2 : SULFIDES and SULFOSALTS (sulfides, selenides, tellurides; arsenides, antimonides, bismuthides; sulfarsenites, sulfantimonites, sulfbismuthites, etc.)
B : Metal Sulfides, M: S > 1: 1 (mainly 2: 1)
A : With Cu, Ag, Au
Dana 7th ed.:
2.5.2.1
2.5.2.1

2 : SULFIDES
5 : AmBnXp, with (m+n):p = 3:2
3.1.23

3 : Sulphides, Selenides, Tellurides, Arsenides and Bismuthides (except the arsenides, antimonides and bismuthides of Cu, Ag and Au, which are included in Section 1)
1 : Sulphides etc. of Cu

Mineral SymbolsHide

As of 2021 there are now IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols (abbreviations) for each mineral species, useful for tables and diagrams.

Please only use the official IMA–CNMNC symbol. Older variants are listed for historical use only.

SymbolSourceReference
BnIMA–CNMNCWarr, L.N. (2021). IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols. Mineralogical Magazine, 85(3), 291-320. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43
BnKretz (1983)Kretz, R. (1983) Symbols of rock-forming minerals. American Mineralogist, 68, 277–279.
BnSiivolam & Schmid (2007)Siivolam, J. and Schmid, R. (2007) Recommendations by the IUGS Subcommission on the Systematics of Metamorphic Rocks: List of mineral abbreviations. Web-version 01.02.07. IUGS Commission on the Systematics in Petrology. download
BnWhitney & Evans (2010)Whitney, D.L. and Evans, B.W. (2010) Abbreviations for names of rock-forming minerals. American Mineralogist, 95, 185–187 doi:10.2138/am.2010.3371
BnThe Canadian Mineralogist (2019)The Canadian Mineralogist (2019) The Canadian Mineralogist list of symbols for rock- and ore-forming minerals (December 30, 2019). download

Physical Properties of BorniteHide

Metallic
Transparency:
Opaque
Colour:
Copper-red to pinchbeck-brown, quickly tarnishing to an iridescent purplish surface.
Streak:
Grey-Black
Hardness:
Hardness:
VHN100=92 kg/mm2 - Vickers
Hardness Data:
Measured
Tenacity:
Brittle
Cleavage:
Poor/Indistinct
In traces on {111}.
Parting:
None.
Fracture:
Irregular/Uneven
Density:
5.06 - 5.09 g/cm3 (Measured)    5.09 g/cm3 (Calculated)

Optical Data of BorniteHide

Anisotropism:
Weak
Reflectivity:
WavelengthR
400nm19.9%
420nm18.8%
440nm17.9%
460nm17.6%
480nm18.0%
500nm18.8%
520nm20.0%
540nm21.3%
560nm22.9%
580nm24.4%
600nm26.0%
620nm27.5%
640nm28.8%
660nm30.2%
680nm31.6%
700nm32.7%

Reflectance graph
Graph shows reflectance levels at different wavelengths (in nm). Top of box is 100%. Peak reflectance is 32.7%.
Colour in reflected light:
Copper-red.
Internal Reflections:
Purplish iridescence.
Pleochroism:
Weak

Chemistry of BorniteHide

Mindat Formula:
Cu5FeS4
Common Impurities:
Ag,Ge,Bi,In,Pb

Chemical AnalysisHide

Crystallography of BorniteHide

Crystal System:
Orthorhombic
Class (H-M):
mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m) - Dipyramidal
Space Group:
Pbca
Cell Parameters:
a = 10.97016(18) Å, b = 21.8803(4) Å, c = 10.9637(2) Å
Ratio:
a:b:c = 0.501 : 1 : 0.501
Unit Cell V:
2631.61 ų
Z:
16
Morphology:
Crystals rare, usually blocky with rough curved faces, pseudo-cubic, pseudo-dodecohedral and rarely pseudo-octahedral. Forms noted: {001}, {011}, {111}, {112}, {223} and {335}.

Bornite is orthorhombic at 10 degrees K up to 275 degrees K (~ 2 degrees Celsius).
Twinning:
On {111}, often as penetration twins.
Comment:
Various, mostly temperature-dependent supercells are known. Cell parameters are from Shu et al. (2021). Koto & Morimoto (1975) give Pbca, and a = 10.950, b = 21.862, c = 10.950 Å. High-temperature forms are cubic.

Crystallographic forms of BorniteHide

Crystal Atlas:
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Bornite no.1 - Goldschmidt (1913-1926)
Bornite no.5 - Goldschmidt (1913-1926)
Bornite no.7 - Goldschmidt (1913-1926)
Bornite no.10 - Goldschmidt (1913-1926)
3d models and HTML5 code kindly provided by www.smorf.nl.

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Crystal StructureHide

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IDSpeciesReferenceLinkYearLocalityPressure (GPa)Temp (K)
0000048BorniteTunell G, Adams C E (1949) On the symmetry and crystal structure of bornite American Mineralogist 34 824-82919490293
0003821BorniteDing Y, Veblen D R, Prewitt C T (2005) High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) study of the 4a and 6a superstructure of bornite Cu5FeS4 American Mineralogist 90 1256-126420050293
0003822BorniteDing Y, Veblen D R, Prewitt C T (2005) Possible Fe/Cu ordering schemes in the 2a superstructure of bornite (Cu5FeS4) American Mineralogist 90 1265-126920050293
0003823BorniteDing Y, Veblen D R, Prewitt C T (2005) Possible Fe/Cu ordering schemes in the 2a superstructure of bornite (Cu5FeS4) American Mineralogist 90 1265-126920050293
0003824BorniteDing Y, Veblen D R, Prewitt C T (2005) Possible Fe/Cu ordering schemes in the 2a superstructure of bornite (Cu5FeS4) American Mineralogist 90 1265-126920050293
0003825BorniteDing Y, Veblen D R, Prewitt C T (2005) Possible Fe/Cu ordering schemes in the 2a superstructure of bornite (Cu5FeS4) American Mineralogist 90 1265-126920050293
0005156BorniteKanazawa Y, Koto K, Morimoto N (1978) Bornite (Cu5FeS4): Stability and crystal structure of the intermediate form The Canadian Mineralogist 16 397-40419780293
0009281BorniteMorimoto N (1964) Structures of two polymorphic forms of Cu5FeS4 Acta Crystallographica 17 351-3601964synthetic0293
0009542BorniteKoto K, Morimoto N (1975) Superstructure investigation of bornite, Cu5FeS4, by the modified partial Patterson function Acta Crystallographica B31 2268-22731975Cornwall, England0293
CIF Raw Data - click here to close

X-Ray Powder DiffractionHide

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Radiation - Copper Kα
Data Set:
Data courtesy of RRUFF project at University of Arizona, used with permission.
Powder Diffraction Data:
d-spacingIntensity
3.31 Å(40)
3.18 Å(60)
2.74 Å(50)
2.50 Å(40)
1.94 Å(100)
1.65 Å(30)
1.26 Å(50)
1.12 Å(5)

Geological EnvironmentHide

Paragenetic Mode(s):
Paragenetic ModeEarliest Age (Ga)
Stage 2: Planetesimal differentiation and alteration4.566-4.550
6 : Secondary asteroid phases4.566-4.560
Stage 3a: Earth’s earliest Hadean crust>4.50
8 : Mafic igneous rocks
Stage 3b: Earth’s earliest hydrosphere>4.45
12 : Hadean hydrothermal subsurface sulfide deposits (see also #33)
15 : Black/white smoker minerals and other seafloor hydrothermal minerals
High-𝑇 alteration and/or metamorphism
31 : Thermally altered carbonate, phosphate, and iron formations
Stage 4b: Highly evolved igneous rocks>3.0
37 : Layered igneous intrusions and related PGE minerals
Stage 10a: Neoproterozoic oxygenation/terrestrial biosphere<0.6
50 : Coal and/or oil shale minerals<0.36
53 : Other minerals with taphonomic origins<0.4
Stage 10b: Anthropogenic minerals<10 Ka
54 : Coal and other mine fire minerals (see also #51 and #56)
Geological Setting:
Common and widespread in copper ore deposits. It also occurs in basic intrusives, in dikes, in contact metamorphic deposits, in quartz veins, and in pegmatites.

Type Occurrence of BorniteHide

Place of Conservation of Type Material:
No designated type material.

Synonyms of BorniteHide

Other Language Names for BorniteHide

Varieties of BorniteHide

Half-BorniteA variety from Zechstein copper deposits of the Fore-Sudetic Monocline, Poland; characterized by a 50% deficit in Fe.
Compare the variety Quatr-Bornite.
Quatr-BorniteA variety from Zechstein copper deposits of the Fore-Sudetic Monocline, Poland; characterized by a 75% deficit in Fe.
Compare the variety Half-Bornite.
Silver-bearing BorniteA silver-bearing variety of bornite.

Common AssociatesHide

Associated Minerals Based on Photo Data:
671 photos of Bornite associated with ChalcopyriteCuFeS2
408 photos of Bornite associated with QuartzSiO2
338 photos of Bornite associated with ChalcociteCu2S
170 photos of Bornite associated with CalciteCaCO3
170 photos of Bornite associated with PyriteFeS2
158 photos of Bornite associated with SilverAg
152 photos of Bornite associated with CovelliteCuS
149 photos of Bornite associated with MalachiteCu2(CO3)(OH)2
130 photos of Bornite associated with Tennantite SubgroupCu6(Cu4C2+2)As4S12S
112 photos of Bornite associated with DolomiteCaMg(CO3)2

Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat GroupingHide

2.BA.Orileyite(Fe,Cu)2As
2.BA.AlburniteAg8GeTe2S4Iso.
2.BA.DzierżanowskiteCaCu2S2Trig. 3m (3 2/m) : P3m1
2.BA.MakotoiteAg12(Cu3Au)S8Trig. 3m (3 2/m) : R3c
2.BA.XuwenyuaniteAg9Fe3+Te2S4Iso. 4 3m : F4 3m
2.BA.05ChalcociteCu2SMon. 2/m : P21/b
2.BA.05DjurleiteCu31S16Mon. 2/m
2.BA.05GeeriteCu8S5Trig. 3
2.BA.05RoxbyiteCu9S5Tric. 1 : P1
2.BA.10AniliteCu7S4Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m) : Pnma
2.BA.10DigeniteCu9S5Trig. 3m (3 2/m) : R3m
2.BA.20BellidoiteCu2SeTet. 4/m : P42/n
2.BA.20BerzelianiteCu2-xSe (x ≈ 0.12)Iso. m3m (4/m 3 2/m) : Fm3m
2.BA.25AthabascaiteCu5Se4Orth.
2.BA.25UmangiteCu3Se2Tet. 4 2m : P4 21m
2.BA.30RickarditeCu7Te5Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m) : Pmmn
2.BA.30WeissiteCu2-xTeHex. 6/mmm (6/m 2/m 2/m) : P6/mmm
2.BA.35AcanthiteAg2SMon. 2/m : P21/m
2.BA.35SpryiteAg8(As3+0.5As5+0.5)S6Orth. mm2 : Pna21
2.BA.40MckinstryiteAg5-xCu3+xS4Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m) : Pnma
2.BA.40StromeyeriteAgCuSOrth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m)
2.BA.40dUM2003-13-S:AgAuCuAg6AuCu2S5
2.BA.42HoneaiteAu3TlTe2 Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m) : Pbcm
2.BA.45JalpaiteAg3CuS2Tet. 4/mmm (4/m 2/m 2/m) : I41/amd
2.BA.45KuriliteAg8Te3SeTrig. 3 : R3
2.BA.45SelenojalpaiteAg3CuSe2Tet. 4/mmm (4/m 2/m 2/m) : I41/amd
2.BA.47Spiridonovite(Cu1-xAgx)2TeTrig. 3m (3 2/m) : P3c1
2.BA.50EucairiteAgCuSeOrth.
2.BA.50WuyanzhiiteCu2STet. 4 2 2 : P43 21 2
2.BA.52ArgentiteAg2SIso.
2.BA.55AguilariteAg4SeSMon. 2/m
2.BA.55NaumanniteAg2SeOrth. 2 2 2 : P21 21 21
2.BA.60CervelleiteAg4TeSMon. 2/m
2.BA.60HessiteAg2TeMon. 2/m : P21/b
2.BA.60ChenguodaiteAg9Fe3+Te2S4Orth.
2.BA.65Henryite(Cu,Ag)3+xTe2 , with x ~ 0.40 Iso. m3m (4/m 3 2/m) : Fd3c
2.BA.65StütziteAg5-xTe3, x = 0.24-0.36Hex. 6 : P6
2.BA.70ArgyroditeAg8GeS6Orth. mm2 : Pna21
2.BA.70CanfielditeAg8SnS6Orth. mm2
2.BA.70Putzite(Cu4.7Ag3.3)GeS6Iso. 4 3m : F4 3m
2.BA.75FischesseriteAg3AuSe2Iso. 4 3 2 : I41 3 2
2.BA.75Penzhinite(Ag,Cu)4Au(S,Se)4Hex. 6 2 2 : P63 2 2
2.BA.75PetrovskaiteAuAgSMon.
2.BA.75PetziteAg3AuTe2Iso. 4 3 2 : I41 3 2
2.BA.75UytenbogaardtiteAg3AuS2Trig. 3m (3 2/m) : R3c
2.BA.80Bezsmertnovite(Au,Ag)4Cu(Te,Pb)Orth.
2.BA.80BilibinskitePbCu2Au3Te2Iso.
2.BA.80Bogdanovite(Au,Te,Pb)3(Cu,Fe)Iso.

Other InformationHide

Notes:
Soluble in nitric acid with separation of sulfur.

In the closed tube gives a faint sublimate of sulfur. In the open tube, yields sulphuric acid, but gives no sublimate.

Borax bead on charcoal fuses in reducing flame to a brittle magnetic globule. The roasted mineral gives, with fluxes, the reactions of iron and copper, and with soda, a metallic globule.
Health Risks:
No information on health risks for this material has been entered into the database. You should always treat mineral specimens with care.
Industrial Uses:
A major ore of copper.

Bornite in petrologyHide

An essential component of rock names highlighted in red, an accessory component in rock names highlighted in green.

Internet Links for BorniteHide

References for BorniteHide

Reference List:

Localities for BorniteHide

This map shows a selection of localities that have latitude and longitude coordinates recorded. Click on the symbol to view information about a locality. The symbol next to localities in the list can be used to jump to that position on the map.

Locality ListShow

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