Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-t5tsf Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-02T20:12:51.661Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Reichenbachite from Cornwall and Portugal

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 July 2018

R. S. W. Braithwaite
Affiliation:
Chemistry Department, University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology, Manchester, M60 1QD, UK
G. Ryback
Affiliation:
42, Bell Road, Sittingbourne, Kent, ME10 4EB, UK

Abstract

Infrared spectroscopy is a rapid method of distinguishing between pseudomalachite and its polymorphs reichenbachite and ludjibaite. This technique, backed by X-ray diffraction has shown that a number of specimens labelled ‘pseudomalachite’ from Cornwall, in particular from Old Gunnislake mine, are of reichenbachite, thus identified for the first time from the British Isles. Reichenbachite has also been identified with pseudomalachite from Miguel Vacas mine, Vila Viçosa, Evora, Portugal. Identification of pseudomalachite from a number of other localities world-wide has been confirmed, and some specimens have been shown to be arsenatian.

Type
Mineralogy
Copyright
Copyright © The Mineralogical Society of Great Britain and Ireland 1994

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Anderson, J. B., Shoemaker, G. L., Kostiner, E. and Ruszala, F. A. (1977) The crystal structure of synthetic Cu5(PO4)2(OH)4, a polymorph of pseu-domalachite. Amer. Mineral., 62, 115–21.Google Scholar
Bernhardi, J. J. (1839) In Glocker, E. F., Handbuch der Mineralogie, 2nd. edn., 578.Google Scholar
Berry, L. G. (1951) On pseudomalachite and cornetite. Amer. Mineral., 36, 484–503.Google Scholar
Bowell, R. J. (1992) Supergene copper mineral assemblages at Botallack, St. Just, Cornwall. J. Russell Soc, 4, 45–53.Google Scholar
Braithwaite, R. S. W. (1983) Infrared spectroscopic analysis of the olivenite-adamite series, and of phosphate substitution in libethenite. Mineral. Mag., 47, 51–7.Google Scholar
Braithwaite, R. S. W. (1990) Infrared spectroscopy as a technique for the identification of minerals. J. Russell Soc, 3, 71–9.Google Scholar
Breithaupt, A. (1832) Vollstdndige Characteristik des Mineral-Systems. 2nd edn., Dresden, 45.Google Scholar
Breithaupt, A. (1841) Vollstdndiges Handbuch der Mineralogie. Vol. 2, Dresden and Leipzig, 167.Google Scholar
Church, A. H. (1873) New analyses of certain mineral arseniates and phosphates. J. Chem. Soc, 26, 101-11 (p. 107).Google Scholar
Hausmann, J. F. L. (1813) Handbuch der Mineralogie, Vol. 3, Gottingen, 1035-8 Heddle, M. F. (1855) Analysis of lunnite from Cornwall. Phil. Mag., 10, 39.Google Scholar
Hyrsl, J. (1991) Three polymorphs of Cu5(PO4)2(OH)4 from Lubietova, Czechoslovakia. Neues Jahrb. Mineral. Mh., 281-7.Google Scholar
Kingsbury, A. W. G. (1952) New occurrences of rare copper and other minerals. Trans. R. Geol. Soc. Cornwall, 18, 386–406.Google Scholar
Livingstone, A. (1993) Glossary of Scottish minerals: an update. Scot. J. Geol, 29, 87–101.Google Scholar
Magalhães, M. C. F., Pedrosa de Jesus, J. D. and Williams, P. A. (1988) Copper(II) phosphate minerals from the Miguel Vacas mine, Alentejo, Portugal. J. Russell Soc, 2, 13–18.Google Scholar
Maskelyne, N. S. and Flight, W. (1872) Mineralogi-cal notices (continued). J. Chem. Soc, 25, 1049-57 (p. 1057). Piret, P. and Deliens, M. (1988) Description de la ludjibaite, un polymorphe de la pseudomalachite, Cu5(PO4)2(OH)4. Bull. Mineral., III, 167-71.Google Scholar
Rudler, F. W. (1905) A handbook to a Collection of Minerals of the British Isles, mostly selected from the Ludlam Collection in the Museum of Practical Geology. London, 52Google Scholar
Shoemaker, G. L. and Kostiner, E. (1961) Poly-morphism in Cu5(PO4)2(OH)4 . Amer. Mineral., 66, 176–81.Google Scholar
Shoemaker, G. L., Anderson, J. B. and Kostiner, E. (1977) Refinement of the crystal structure of pseudomalachite. Amer. Mineral., 62, 1042–8.Google Scholar
Shoemaker, G. L., Anderson, J. B. and Kostiner, E. (1981) The crystal structure of a third polymorph of Cu5(PO4)2(OH)4 . Amer. Mineral, 66, 169–75.Google Scholar
Sieber, N. H. W., Tillmanns, E. and Medenbach, O. (1987) Hentschelite, CuFe2(PO4)2(OH)2, a new member of the lazulite group, and reichenbachite, Cu5(PO4)2(OH)4, a polymorph of pseudomalachite, two new copper phosphate minerals from Reichenbach, Germany. Amer. Mineral, 72, 404–8.Google Scholar