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Gananite

A valid IMA mineral species

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Gannan region, Jiangxi Province, China

Formula:

BiF₃

Colour:

Brown to black and greenish-black

Lustre:

Resinous, Sub-Metallic

Hardness:

3½

Specific Gravity:

8.928 (Calculated)

Crystal System:

Isometric

Name:

Named for Gannan, the Chinese name for southwestern Jiangxi Province, where the mineral was discovered.
Note that the IMA approved name is "Gananite" although the region for which its was named is spelled with two "n".

Type Locality:

ⓘ Laikeng tungsten mine, Helong orefield, Gan Co., Ganzhou, Jiangxi, China

This page provides mineralogical data about Gananite.

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Unique IdentifiersHide

Mindat ID:

1646

Long-form identifier:

mindat:1:1:1646:5

GUID
(UUID V4):

f6d8110a-25cf-4995-b45f-effeb75491a1

IMA Classification of GananiteHide

IMA status:

Approved

First published:

1984

Type description reference:

Cheng, L., Huang, Z., Pan, S., Huang, R., Guo, S. (1984) Gananite (α-BiF3), a new bismuto-fluoride mineral from Jiangxi, China. Acta Petrologica Mineralogica et Analytica [Yanshi Kuangwu Ji Ceshi]: 3(2): 119-123.

Classification of GananiteHide

Strunz-mindat (2024):

3.AC.20

3 : HALIDES
A : Simple halides, without H₂O
C : M:X = 1:3

Dana 8th ed.:

9.3.5.1

9 : NORMAL HALIDES
3 : AX₃

Hey's CIM Ref.:

8.9.3

8 : Halides - Fluorides, Chlorides, Bromides and Iodides; also Fluoborates and Fluosilicates
9 : Halides of Sb and Bi

Mineral SymbolsHide

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

Symbol	Source	Reference
Gan	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 GananiteHide

Lustre:

Resinous, Sub-Metallic

Transparency:

Translucent

Colour:

Brown to black and greenish-black

Streak:

Dark gray

Hardness:

3½ on Mohs scale

Hardness:

VHN₁₀₀=135 - 153 - Vickers

Tenacity:

Brittle

Cleavage:

None Observed

Fracture:

Irregular/Uneven

Density:

8.928 g/cm³ (Calculated)

Chemistry of GananiteHide

Mindat Formula:

BiF₃

Elements listed:

Bi, F - search for minerals with similar chemistry

Crystallography of GananiteHide

Crystal System:

Isometric

Cell Parameters:

a = 5.825(1) Å

Unit Cell V:

197.65 Å³ (Calculated from Unit Cell)

Comment:

Space group P43m

Crystal StructureHide

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Data courtesy of the American Mineralogist Crystal Structure Database. Click on an AMCSD ID to view structure

ID	Species	Reference	Link	Year	Locality	Pressure (GPa)	Temp (K)
0015758	Gananite	Hund F, Fricke R (1949) Der kristallbau von a-BiF3 Zeitschrift fur Anorganische und Allgemeine Chemie 258 198-204		1949		0	293

CIF Raw Data - click here to close

data_global
_chemical_name_mineral 'Gananite'
loop_
_publ_author_name
'Hund F'
'Fricke R'
_journal_name_full 'Zeitschrift fur Anorganische und Allgemeine Chemie'
_journal_volume 258 
_journal_year 1949
_journal_page_first 198
_journal_page_last 204
_publ_section_title
;
 Der kristallbau von a-BiF3
;
_database_code_amcsd 0015758
_chemical_formula_sum 'Bi F3'
_cell_length_a 5.853
_cell_length_b 5.853
_cell_length_c 5.853
_cell_angle_alpha 90
_cell_angle_beta 90
_cell_angle_gamma 90
_cell_volume 200.510
_exptl_crystal_density_diffrn      8.811
_symmetry_space_group_name_H-M 'P -4 3 m'
loop_
_space_group_symop_operation_xyz
  'x,y,z'
  '-z,x,-y'
  '-y,z,-x'
  '-x,y,-z'
  'x,-z,-y'
  'z,-y,-x'
  'y,-x,-z'
  'x,z,y'
  'z,y,x'
  'y,x,z'
  '-z,-x,y'
  '-y,-z,x'
  '-x,-y,z'
  'z,-x,-y'
  'y,-z,-x'
  'x,-y,-z'
  '-x,z,-y'
  '-z,y,-x'
  '-y,x,-z'
  '-x,-z,y'
  '-z,-y,x'
  '-y,-x,z'
  'z,x,y'
  'y,z,x'
loop_
_atom_site_label
_atom_site_fract_x
_atom_site_fract_y
_atom_site_fract_z
Bi   0.73700   0.73700   0.73700
F1   0.00000   0.00000   0.00000
F2   0.50000   0.50000   0.50000
F3   0.00000   0.50000   0.50000
F4   0.50000   0.00000   0.00000
F5   0.25000   0.25000   0.25000

X-Ray Powder DiffractionHide

Powder Diffraction Data:

d-spacing	Intensity
3.37 Å	(100)
2.057 Å	(90)
1.756 Å	(80)
2.91 Å	(70)
2.272 Å	(50)
1.334 Å	(50)
1.188 Å	(50)

Comments:

Laikeng tungsten mine, Jiangxi, China. Data from the type description.

Geological EnvironmentHide

Paragenetic Mode(s):

Paragenetic Mode	Earliest Age (Ga)
Near-surface Processes
23 : Subaerial aqueous alteration by non-redox-sensitive fluids (see also #47)

Type Occurrence of GananiteHide

Type Locality:

ⓘ Laikeng tungsten mine, Helong orefield, Gan Co., Ganzhou, Jiangxi, China

General Appearance of Type Material:

Brown to black and greenish-black irregular aggregates, 0.076 to 0.15 mm in diameter.

Place of Conservation of Type Material:

National Museum of Geology of Beijing, China.

Associated Minerals at Type Locality:

Wolframite Group	Quartz	Pyrite	Chalcopyrite	Bismuthinite
Bismuth

Reference:

Synonyms of GananiteHide

IMA1983-006

Other Language Names for GananiteHide

German:Gananit

Russian:Гананит

Simplified Chinese:赣南矿

Spanish:Gananita

Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat Grouping Hide

3.AC.05	Zharchikhite	AlF(OH)₂	Mon. 2/m : P2₁/b
3.AC.10	Molysite	FeCl₃	Trig. 3 : R3
3.AC.15	Fluocerite-(Ce)	CeF₃	Trig. 3m (3 2/m) : P3c1
3.AC.15	Fluocerite-(La)	LaF₃	Trig. 3m (3 2/m) : P3c1

Fluorescence of GananiteHide

In UV light:

Not fluorescent.

Other InformationHide

Electrical:

None

Notes:

Readily soluble in HCl and HNO3.

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 GananiteHide

mindat.org URL:

https://www.mindat.org/min-1646.html
Please feel free to link to this page.

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External Links:

Look for Gananite on Webmineral

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Raman and XRD data at RRUFF project

References and PDF downloads at RRUFF project

American Mineralogist Crystal Structure Database

Handbook of Mineralogy page PDF

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References for GananiteHide

Reference List:

Hund, F., Fricke, R. (1949) Der kristallbau von α-BiF3. Zeitschrift für Anorganische und Allgemeine Chemie: 258: 198-204.

Jambor, John L., Ercit, Ernst A. J. Burke T. Scott, Grice, Joel D. (1988) New Mineral Names. American Mineralogist, 73 (11-12) 1492-1499 p.1494

(2023) Gananite. Handbook of Mineralogy. Mineralogical Society of America

Localities for GananiteHide

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 ListHide

- 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). ~~Struck out~~ - Mineral was erroneously reported from this locality. Faded * - Never found at this locality but inferred to have existed at some point in the past (e.g. from pseudomorphs).

All localities listed without proper references should be considered as questionable.


China (TL)
Jiangxi Ganzhou Gan Co. Helong orefield ⓘ Laikeng tungsten mine (TL)	Longzai Cheng et al. (1984) +1 other reference

Germany
Saxony Sächsische Schweiz-Osterzgebirge Dippoldiswalde ⓘ Sadisdorf	Witzke (2011)

Italy
Lombardy Varese Province Cuasso al Monte Cavagnano ⓘ Subalpina Quarry (Mantegazza Quarry; Gebel Quarry; Bianchi Quarry)	Gentile et al. (2023)
Cuasso al Piano ⓘ Bonomi Quarry	Gentile et al. (2023)

Russia
Chukotka Autonomous Okrug Iultinsky District ⓘ Kuiviveem–Pyrkakai ore district	Alekseev et al. (2015)
Okhotsk-Chukotka belt ⓘ Kontaktovyi Stock	Sidorov et al. (2007, November)

Gananite

Unique IdentifiersHide

IMA Classification of GananiteHide

Classification of GananiteHide

Mineral SymbolsHide

Physical Properties of GananiteHide

Chemistry of GananiteHide

Crystallography of GananiteHide

Crystal StructureHide

X-Ray Powder DiffractionHide

Geological EnvironmentHide

Type Occurrence of GananiteHide

Synonyms of GananiteHide

Other Language Names for GananiteHide

Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat GroupingHide

Fluorescence of GananiteHide

Other InformationHide

Internet Links for GananiteHide

References for GananiteHide

Localities for GananiteHide

Locality ListHide

Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat Grouping Hide