Changoite is a rare

zinc Zinc is a chemical element with the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. Zinc is a slightly brittle metal at room temperature and has a shiny-greyish appearance when oxidation is removed. It is the first element in group 12 (IIB) of the periodi ...

sulfate mineral The sulfate minerals are a class of minerals that include the sulfate ion () within their structure. The sulfate minerals occur commonly in primary evaporite depositional environments, as gangue minerals in hydrothermal veins and as secondary mine ...

with the formula Na₂Zn(SO₄)₂·4H₂O. Chagoite was discovered in the San Francisco Mine near Sierra Gorda, Antofagasta, Chile. The mineral is a

-analogue of

blödite Blödite or bloedite is a hydrated sodium magnesium sulfate mineral with formula: Na2Mg(SO4)2·4H2O. The mineral is clear to yellow in color often darkened by inclusions and forms monoclinic crystals. Blödite was first described in 1821 for an ...

, cobaltoblödite, manganoblödite and nickelblödite - other representatives of the blödite group. In terms of chemistry changoite is somewhat similar to

gordaite Gordaite is a sulfate mineral composed primarily of hydrous zinc sodium sulfate chloride hydroxide with formula: NaZn4(SO4)(OH)6Cl·6H2O. It was named for the Type locality (geology), discovery location in the Sierra Gorda, Chile, Sierra Gorda dist ...

. The mineral's name comes from the early inhabitants of Chile - Changos. Traces of magnesium and calcium in changoite are negligible. Minerals associating with changoite are

gypsum Gypsum is a soft sulfate mineral composed of calcium sulfate dihydrate, with the chemical formula . It is widely mined and is used as a fertilizer and as the main constituent in many forms of plaster, blackboard or sidewalk chalk, and drywal ...

-bearing paratacamite, and thénardite.

References

Zinc minerals Sulfate minerals Sodium minerals Monoclinic minerals Minerals in space group 14 Minerals described in 1999 {{sulfate-mineral-stub