Botallackite
A valid IMA mineral species - grandfathered
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About Botallackite
Formula:
Cu2(OH)3Cl
Colour:
Mountain-green, bluish green to green; pale bluish green in transmitted light
Specific Gravity:
3.6
Crystal System:
Monoclinic
Member of:
Name:
For the type locality, the Botallack Mine, St. Just, Cornwall.
Polymorph of:
A secondary copper mineral.
NOTE: May be confused with Kapellasite, which has a similar X-ray powder diffraction pattern. Some botallackites contain minor Zn, but the Zn:Cu ratio never approaches that of kapellasite (1:3).
NOTE: May be confused with Kapellasite, which has a similar X-ray powder diffraction pattern. Some botallackites contain minor Zn, but the Zn:Cu ratio never approaches that of kapellasite (1:3).
Unique Identifiers
Mindat ID:
732
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:1:732:8
GUID
(UUID V4):
(UUID V4):
057b44f1-e90d-4ba6-8d04-775f4a5aa617
IMA Classification of Botallackite
Approved, 'Grandfathered' (first described prior to 1959)
IMA Formula:
Cu2Cl(OH)3
Classification of Botallackite
3.DA.10b
3 : HALIDES
D : Oxyhalides, hydroxyhalides and related double halides
A : With Cu, etc., without Pb
3 : HALIDES
D : Oxyhalides, hydroxyhalides and related double halides
A : With Cu, etc., without Pb
10.1.3.1
10 : OXYHALIDES AND HYDROXYHALIDES
1 : A2(O,OH)3Xq
10 : OXYHALIDES AND HYDROXYHALIDES
1 : A2(O,OH)3Xq
8.2.6
8 : Halides - Fluorides, Chlorides, Bromides and Iodides; also Fluoborates and Fluosilicates
2 : Halides of Cu
8 : Halides - Fluorides, Chlorides, Bromides and Iodides; also Fluoborates and Fluosilicates
2 : Halides of Cu
Mineral Symbols
As of 2021 there are now IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols (abbreviations) for each mineral species, useful for tables and diagrams.
Symbol | Source | Reference |
---|---|---|
Blk | IMA–CNMNC | Warr, L.N. (2021). IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols. Mineralogical Magazine, 85(3), 291-320. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43 |
Pronunciation of Botallackite
Pronunciation:
Play | Recorded by | Country |
---|---|---|
Jolyon Ralph | United Kingdom |
Physical Properties of Botallackite
Transparency:
Transparent, Translucent
Colour:
Mountain-green, bluish green to green; pale bluish green in transmitted light
Comment:
Soft
Cleavage:
Distinct/Good
In one direction perpendicular to Z axis
In one direction perpendicular to Z axis
Density:
3.6 g/cm3 (Measured) 3.6 g/cm3 (Calculated)
Optical Data of Botallackite
Type:
Biaxial (+)
RI values:
nα = 1.775 nβ = 1.800 nγ = 1.846
Max Birefringence:
δ = 0.071
Image shows birefringence interference colour range (at 30µm thickness)
and does not take into account mineral colouration.
and does not take into account mineral colouration.
Surface Relief:
Very High
Dispersion:
r > v, strong
Pleochroism:
Weak
Comments:
in shades of bluish green
Chemistry of Botallackite
Mindat Formula:
Cu2(OH)3Cl
Elements listed:
Crystallography of Botallackite
Crystal System:
Monoclinic
Class (H-M):
2/m - Prismatic
Space Group:
P21/m
Cell Parameters:
a = 5.717 Å, b = 6.126 Å, c = 5.636 Å
β = 93.07°
β = 93.07°
Ratio:
a:b:c = 0.933 : 1 : 0.92
Unit Cell V:
197.10 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Z:
2
Morphology:
Elongate tabular indistinct crystals; also blocky-prismatic crystals.
Comment:
Krause (2006) gives a 5.7155(5), b 6.1255(6), c 5.6336(4) A, beta 93.090(8)°.
Crystal Structure
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Unit Cell | Unit Cell Packed
2x2x2 | 3x3x3 | 4x4x4
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2x2x2 | 3x3x3 | 4x4x4
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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) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
0014479 | Botallackite | Hawthorne F C (1985) Refinement of the crystal structure of botallackite Mineralogical Magazine 49 87-89 | 1985 | Botallack mine, Cornwall, England | 0 | 293 | |
0019937 | Botallackite | Zheng X G, Mori T, Nishiyama K, Higemoto W, Yamada H, Nishikubo K, Xu C N (2005) Antiferromagnetic transitions in polymorphous minerals of the natural cuprates atacamite and botallackite Cu2Cl(OH)3 Physical Review B - Condensed Matter 71 174404-8 | 2005 | synthetic | 0 | 293 |
CIF Raw Data - click here to close
X-Ray Powder Diffraction
Powder Diffraction Data:
d-spacing | Intensity |
---|---|
5.66 Å | (10) |
2.84 Å | (4) |
2.68 Å | (3) |
2.57 Å | (7) |
2.40 Å | (8) |
1.93 Å | (3) |
1.53 Å | (4) |
Comments:
Recorded on material from the Botallack Mine, Cornwall, England
Geological Environment
Paragenetic Mode(s):
Paragenetic Mode | Earliest Age (Ga) |
---|---|
Stage 3b: Earth’s earliest hydrosphere | >4.45 |
15 : Black/white smoker minerals and other seafloor hydrothermal minerals | |
Stage 7: Great Oxidation Event | <2.4 |
47a : [Near-surface hydration of prior minerals] | |
47g : [Halogen-bearing surface weathering minerals] | |
Stage 10b: Anthropogenic minerals | <10 Ka |
56 : Slag and smelter minerals (see also #51 and #55) |
Geological Setting:
In copper-bearing deposits, in areas with high chloride concentrations or weathered while exposed to sea water; a reaction product of slags immersed in sea water; a weathering product of sulphides in subsea black smoker deposits.
Type Occurrence of Botallackite
General Appearance of Type Material:
Crusts of minute platy interlaced crystals.
Place of Conservation of Type Material:
The Natural History Museum, London, England (No. 36528)
Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA (No. 100805)
Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA (No. 100805)
Geological Setting of Type Material:
In a copper deposit, in areas weathered while exposed to sea water.
Associated Minerals at Type Locality:
Other Language Names for Botallackite
German:Botallackit
Russian:Боталлактит
Simplified Chinese:羟氯铜矿
Spanish:Botallackita
Traditional Chinese:羥氯銅礦
Varieties of Botallackite
Brombotallackite | Artificial bromine analogue of Botallackite |
Relationship of Botallackite to other Species
Member of:
Other Members of this group:
Atacamite | Cu2(OH)3Cl | Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m) : Pnma |
Clinoatacamite | Cu2(OH)3Cl | Mon. 2/m |
Gillardite | Cu3Ni(OH)6Cl2 | Trig. 3m (3 2/m) : R3m |
Haydeeite | Cu3Mg(OH)6Cl2 | Trig. 3m (3 2/m) : P3m1 |
Herbertsmithite | Cu3Zn(OH)6Cl2 | Trig. 3m (3 2/m) : R3m |
Hibbingite | Fe2+2(OH)3Cl | Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m) : Pnma |
Iyoite | MnCuCl(OH)3 | Mon. 2/m : P21/m |
Kapellasite | Cu3Zn(OH)6Cl2 | Trig. 3m (3 2/m) : P3m1 |
Kempite | Mn2+2(OH)3Cl | Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m) : Pnma |
Leverettite | Cu3Co(OH)6Cl2 | Trig. 3 : R3 |
Misakiite | Cu3Mn(OH)6Cl2 | Trig. 3m (3 2/m) : P3m1 |
Paratacamite | Cu3(Cu,Zn)(OH)6Cl2 | Trig. 3 : R3 |
Paratacamite-(Mg) | Cu3(Mg,Cu)(OH)6Cl2 | Trig. 3 : R3 |
Paratacamite-(Ni) | Cu3(Ni,Cu)(OH)6Cl2 | Trig. 3 : R3 |
Tondiite | Cu3Mg(OH)6Cl2 | Trig. 3m (3 2/m) : R3m |
Unnamed (Cu-Zn Chloride Hydroxide) | CuZnCl(OH)3 | Mon. 2/m : P21/m |
Common Associates
Associated Minerals Based on Photo Data:
14 photos of Botallackite associated with Atacamite | Cu2(OH)3Cl |
10 photos of Botallackite associated with Paratacamite | Cu3(Cu,Zn)(OH)6Cl2 |
9 photos of Botallackite associated with Connellite | Cu19(SO4)(OH)32Cl4 · 3H2O |
8 photos of Botallackite associated with Gypsum | CaSO4 · 2H2O |
6 photos of Botallackite associated with Quartz | SiO2 |
5 photos of Botallackite associated with Hemimorphite | Zn4Si2O7(OH)2 · H2O |
4 photos of Botallackite associated with Pyrite | FeS2 |
4 photos of Botallackite associated with Laurionite | PbCl(OH) |
4 photos of Botallackite associated with Ashburtonite | Pb4Cu4(Si4O12)(HCO3)4(OH)3Cl · H2O |
3 photos of Botallackite associated with Chrysocolla | Cu2-xAlx(H2-xSi2O5)(OH)4 · nH2O, x < 1 |
Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat Grouping
3.DA. | Centennialite | CaCu3Cl2(OH)6 · nH2O (n ~ 0.7) |
3.DA. | Muonionalustaite | Ni3(OH)4Cl2 · 4H2O |
3.DA. | Parahibbingite | Fe2(OH)3Cl |
3.DA. | Bounahasite | Cu+Cu2+2(OH)3Cl2 |
3.DA.05 | Melanothallite | Cu2Cl2O |
3.DA.10a | Atacamite | Cu2(OH)3Cl |
3.DA.10b | Clinoatacamite | Cu2(OH)3Cl |
3.DA.10a | Hibbingite | Fe2+2(OH)3Cl |
3.DA.10a | Kempite | Mn2+2(OH)3Cl |
3.DA.10c | Kuliginite | Fe3Mg(OH)6Cl2 |
3.DA.10c | Paratacamite | Cu3(Cu,Zn)(OH)6Cl2 |
3.DA.10b | Belloite | Cu(OH)Cl |
3.DA.10c | Herbertsmithite | Cu3Zn(OH)6Cl2 |
3.DA.10c | Kapellasite | Cu3Zn(OH)6Cl2 |
3.DA.10c | Gillardite | Cu3Ni(OH)6Cl2 |
3.DA.10c | Haydeeite | Cu3Mg(OH)6Cl2 |
3.DA.10c | Leverettite | Cu3Co(OH)6Cl2 |
3.DA.10c | Paratacamite-(Ni) | Cu3(Ni,Cu)(OH)6Cl2 |
3.DA.10c | Tondiite | Cu3Mg(OH)6Cl2 |
3.DA.10c | Misakiite | Cu3Mn(OH)6Cl2 |
3.DA.10b | Iyoite | MnCuCl(OH)3 |
3.DA.10b | Unnamed (Cu-Zn Chloride Hydroxide) | CuZnCl(OH)3 |
3.DA.15 | Claringbullite | Cu4ClF(OH)6 |
3.DA.15 | Barlowite | Cu4BrF(OH)6 |
3.DA.20 | Simonkolleite | Zn5Cl2(OH)8 · H2O |
3.DA.25 | Buttgenbachite | Cu19(NO3)2(OH)32Cl4 · 2H2O |
3.DA.25 | Connellite | Cu19(SO4)(OH)32Cl4 · 3H2O |
3.DA.30 | Abhurite | Sn21Cl16(OH)14O6 |
3.DA.35 | Ponomarevite | K4Cu4Cl10O |
3.DA.40 | Anthonyite | Cu(OH,Cl)2 · 3H2O |
3.DA.40 | Calumetite | CaCu4(OH)8Cl2 · 3.5H2O |
3.DA.45 | Khaidarkanite | Cu4Al3(OH)14F3 · 2H2O |
3.DA.50 | Bobkingite | Cu5Cl2(OH)8 · 2H2O |
3.DA.55 | Avdoninite | K2Cu5(OH)4Cl8 · H2O |
3.DA.60 | Droninoite | Ni6Fe3+2(OH)16Cl2 · 4H2O |
3.DA.70 | Chrysothallite | K6Cu6Tl3+Cl17(OH)4 · H2O |
3.DA.70 | Dioskouriite | CaCu4Cl6(OH)4 · 4H2O |
3.DA.75 | Feodosiyite | Cu11Mg2Cl18(OH)8 · 16H2O |
3.DA.80 | Romanorlovite | K8Cu6Cl17(OH)3 |
Other Information
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 Botallackite
mindat.org URL:
https://www.mindat.org/min-732.html
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References for Botallackite
Reference List:
Church, A. H. (1865) XXXII.—Notes on a Cornish mineral of the atacamite group. J. Chem. Soc., 18. 212-214 doi:10.1039/js8651800212
Maskelyne, N. S. (1865) On new Cornish minerals of the brochantite group. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, 14. 392-400 doi:10.1098/rspl.1865.0074
Frondel, Clifford (1950) On paratacamite and some related copper chlorides. Mineralogical Magazine and Journal of the Mineralogical Society, 29 (208) 34-45 doi:10.1180/minmag.1950.029.208.06
Hawthorne, F. C. (1985) Refinement of the crystal structure of botallackite. Mineralogical Magazine, 49 (350) 87-89 doi:10.1180/minmag.1985.049.350.12
Pollard, A. M., Thomas, R. G., Williams, P. A. (1989) Synthesis and stabilities of the basic copper(II) chlorides atacamite, paratacamite and botallackite. Mineralogical Magazine, 53 (373) 557-563 doi:10.1180/minmag.1989.053.373.06
Localities for Botallackite
Locality List
- 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.
All localities listed without proper references should be considered as questionable.
Atlantic Ocean | |
| Anthony (1997) |
Gablina et al. (2017) | |
Australia | |
| Bottrill et al. (2008) |
Austria | |
| Schnorrer et al. (2008) |
Canada | |
| Norman Wilson personal collection |
| Ronnie Van Dommelen collection |
Chile | |
| maurizio Dini & Arturo Molina collctions- analysed by EDX & PDF (by dr. Jochen Scluter) |
Ecuador | |
| sulfide mounds et al. (3) +1 other reference |
France | |
| Chauris (2014) |
| P Le Roch collection |
| www.mine-capgaronne.fr (2003) |
Germany | |
| Mader et al. (03/2021) |
| 54. +1 other reference |
| Weiß (1990) |
| Schnorrer-Köhler (1988) |
| van den Berg et al. (1990) |
| Bender et al. (1994) |
| |
Greece | |
| |
| Gröbner et al. (2002) |
Schnorrer-Köhler et al. (1982a) | |
Ireland | |
| [R.Tayler Minerals catalogue 70 p.2]. Moreton et al. (1993) |
| Dr Richard Unitt Collection |
| Braithwaite et al. (2001) |
Isle of Man | |
| Adam Stephens Collection |
Italy | |
| Rivista Mineralogica Italiana (Avril/Juin) |
| De Caro et al. (2023) |
| Muenchener Micromounter-Lithothek |
Japan | |
| Okamoto +3 other references |
Kazakhstan | |
| Evseev (1995) |
Poland | |
| Łukasz Kruszewski PXRD & EPMA data (2019) |
Slovakia | |
| Zajzon N. et al. (2021) |
South Africa | |
| Cairncross et al. (1995) |
| SAMS (South African Micromount Society) |
UK | |
| Golley et al. (1995) |
| Paul De Bondt collection |
| Michael Merry |
In that magazine +1 other reference | |
| Paul De Bondt collection |
| Richard De Nul specimens +1 other reference |
| Reid et al. (1907) |
| J.Chem.Soc. London (1865) |
Steve Rust collection | |
| Golley et al. (1995) |
Elton et al. (1995) | |
Golley et al. (1995) | |
| Peter Haas +1 other reference |
| Golley et al. (1995) +1 other reference |
Tindle (2008) | |
| Starkey et al. (1998) |
| Braithwaite et al. (1990) |
Anthony (1997) | |
| Day (1999) |
| NHM London |
| Dossett et al. (1) |
| David Evans specimen |
Dave Evans collection | |
USA | |
| Graeme (1993) |
| Rob Bowell |
| Analyzed by the University of Arizona. |
| Rosemeyer (2022) |
| Tom Rosemeyer collection |
| |
| Rocks & Min. vol. 72 (1997) |
| Washington Geology |
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Levant Mine, Trewellard, St Just, Cornwall, England, UK