Mixite is a rare
copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu (from la, cuprum) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkis ...
bismuth
Bismuth is a chemical element with the Symbol (chemistry), symbol Bi and atomic number 83. It is a post-transition metal and one of the pnictogens, with chemical properties resembling its lighter group 15 siblings arsenic and antimony. Elemental ...
arsenate
The arsenate ion is .
An arsenate (compound) is any compound that contains this ion. Arsenates are salts or esters of arsenic acid.
The arsenic atom in arsenate has a valency of 5 and is also known as pentavalent arsenic or As(V).
Arsenate resem ...
mineral
In geology and mineralogy, a mineral or mineral species is, broadly speaking, a solid chemical compound with a fairly well-defined chemical composition and a specific crystal structure that occurs naturally in pure form.John P. Rafferty, ed. ( ...
with formula: BiCu
6(AsO
4)
3(OH)
6·3(H
2O). It crystallizes in the
hexagonal
In geometry, a hexagon (from Greek , , meaning "six", and , , meaning "corner, angle") is a six-sided polygon. The total of the internal angles of any simple (non-self-intersecting) hexagon is 720°.
Regular hexagon
A '' regular hexagon'' has ...
crystal system
In crystallography, a crystal system is a set of point groups (a group of geometric symmetries with at least one fixed point). A lattice system is a set of Bravais lattices. Space groups are classified into crystal systems according to their po ...
typically occurring as radiating acicular prisms and massive encrustations. The color varies from white to various shades of green and blue. It has a
Mohs hardness
The Mohs scale of mineral hardness () is a qualitative ordinal scale, from 1 to 10, characterizing scratch resistance of various minerals through the ability of harder material to scratch softer material.
The scale was introduced in 1812 by th ...
of 3.5 to 4 and a
specific gravity
Relative density, or specific gravity, is the ratio of the density (mass of a unit volume) of a substance to the density of a given reference material. Specific gravity for liquids is nearly always measured with respect to water (molecule), wa ...
of 3.8. It has an uneven fracture and a brilliant to adamantine luster.
It occurs as a secondary mineral in the oxidized zones of copper deposits. Associated minerals include:
bismutite
Bismutite or bismuthite is a bismuth carbonate mineral with formula Bi2(CO3)O2 (bismuth subcarbonate). Bismutite occurs as an oxidation product of other bismuth minerals such as bismuthinite and native bismuth in hydrothermal veins and pegmatites. ...
,
smaltite
Smaltite is a variety of the mineral skutterudite consisting of cobalt, iron, nickel, and arsenide. It has the chemical formula .
Smaltite crystallizes in the cubic system with the same hemihedral symmetry as pyrite; crystals have usually the ...
, native bismuth,
atelestite,
erythrite
Erythrite or red cobalt is a secondary hydrated cobalt arsenate mineral with the formula . Erythrite and annabergite, chemical formula , or nickel arsenate form a complete series with the general formula .
Erythrite crystallizes in the monoclin ...
,
malachite
Malachite is a copper carbonate hydroxide mineral, with the formula Cu2CO3(OH)2. This opaque, green-banded mineral crystallizes in the monoclinic crystal system, and most often forms botryoidal, fibrous, or stalagmitic masses, in fractures ...
and
barite
Baryte, barite or barytes ( or ) is a mineral consisting of barium sulfate ( Ba S O4). Baryte is generally white or colorless, and is the main source of the element barium. The ''baryte group'' consists of baryte, celestine (strontium sulfate), ...
.
[
It was discovered in 1879 near J´achymov, ]Czech Republic
The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...
by mine engineer Anton Mixa. Mixite has also been found in Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
, Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
, Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
, France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
, Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
, Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...
, Hungary
Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia a ...
, Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
, Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
, Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
, Namibia
Namibia (, ), officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country in Southern Africa. Its western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Zambia and Angola to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and ea ...
, Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...
, Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
, Switzerland
). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
, the United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
, and the United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
.
Mixite is the namesake member of the mixite mineral group, which has the general chemical formula Cu2+6''A''(''T''O4)3(OH)6·3H2O, where ''A'' is a REE, Al, Ca, Pb, or Bi, and ''T'' is P or As. In addition to mixite, this mineral group contains the isostructural Isostructural chemical compounds have similar chemical structures. "Isomorphous" when used in the relation to crystal structures is not synonymous: in addition to the same atomic connectivity that characterises isostructural compounds, isomorphous s ...
minerals agardite
Agardite is a mineral group consisting of agardite-(Y), agardite-(Ce), agardite-(Nd), and agardite-(La). They comprise a group of minerals that are hydrous hydrated arsenates of rare-earth elements (REE) and copper, with the general chemical form ...
-(Y),[Nickel E H, Mandarino J A (1987) Procedures involving the IMA Commission on New Minerals and Mineral Names and guidelines on mineral nomenclature, American Mineralogist 72, 1031-1042] agardite
Agardite is a mineral group consisting of agardite-(Y), agardite-(Ce), agardite-(Nd), and agardite-(La). They comprise a group of minerals that are hydrous hydrated arsenates of rare-earth elements (REE) and copper, with the general chemical form ...
-(Ce), agardite
Agardite is a mineral group consisting of agardite-(Y), agardite-(Ce), agardite-(Nd), and agardite-(La). They comprise a group of minerals that are hydrous hydrated arsenates of rare-earth elements (REE) and copper, with the general chemical form ...
-(Nd), agardite
Agardite is a mineral group consisting of agardite-(Y), agardite-(Ce), agardite-(Nd), and agardite-(La). They comprise a group of minerals that are hydrous hydrated arsenates of rare-earth elements (REE) and copper, with the general chemical form ...
-(La), calciopetersite, goudeyite, petersite-(Ce), petersite-(Y),[Sejkora J, Rídkošil T, Šrein V (1999) Zálesíite, a new mineral of the mixite group, from Zálesí, Rychlebské hory Mts., Czech Republic, Neues Jahrbuch für Mineralogie, Abhandlungen 175, 105-124.]
References
RRUFF Project
Further reading
*Downes, P. J., Hope, M., Bevan, A. W. R. and Henry, D. A. (2006): Chalcocite and associated secondary minerals from the Telfer gold mine, Western Australia. Austral. J. Mineral. 12, 25-42.
*U., Blaß, G. & Auer, C. (2010): 1618) Bleihaltiger Agardit-(La) und Brookit von der Äußeren Wimitz, St. Veit an der Glan, Gurktaler
*Alpen. P. 203 in Niedermayr et al. (2010): Neue Mineralfunde aus Österreich LIX. Carinthia II, 200./120., 199-260.
*Petr Pauliš (2000): Nejzajímavější mineralogická naleziště Čech.
*Palache, C., Berman, H., & Frondel, C. (1951), The System of Mineralogy of James Dwight Dana and Edward Salisbury Dana, Yale University 1837-1892, Volume II: 944; Neues Jahrbuch für Mineralogie, Monatshefte (1991), 487.
*Lapis 2002(7/8), 54.
*Sejkora, J., Gabasova, A., Novotna, M. (1997): Mixite from Smrkovec near Marianské Lazné. Bulletin Mineralogicko-Petrologického Oddělení Národního Muzea (Praha), 4-5, 185-187.
*Sejkora, J.: Minerály ložiska Moldava v Krušných horách. Bulletin Mineralogicko-petrografického oddělení Národního muzea v Praze, 1994, volume. 2, s. 110-116.
*Lapis 23(4), 18-34 (1998).
*Jiří Sejkora, Petr Pauliš, Radana Malíková, Miroslav Zeman & Václav Krtek (2013): Supergenní minerály As ze štoly č. 2 Preisselberg, rudní revír Krupka (Česká republika) upergene As minerals from the Gallery No. 2, Preisselberg, the Krupka ore district (Czech Republic) Bulletin Mineralogicko-Petrologického Oddělení Národního Muzea (Praha) 21, 201-209.
*Kuttna, Kutná Hora; Sejkora, J., Ondruš, P., Fikar, M., Veselovský, F., Mach, Z., Gabašová, A., Skoda, R. & Beran, P. (2006): Supergene minerals at the Huber stock and Schnöd stock deposits, Krásno ore District, the Slavkovský les area, Czech Republic. Journal of the Czech Geological Society 51, 57-101.
*J.-L. Hohl: "Minéraux et Mines du Massif Vosgien", Editions du Rhin (Mulhouse), 1994.
*R.PIERROT, L. CHAURIS, C. LAFORET (1973) : "Inventaire minéralogique de la France : 29- Finistère.", B.R.G.M. Paris.
*Le Cahier des Micromonteurs, Bulletin de l'Association Française de Microminéralogie, 1985, N° 3, pp. 3–6.
*Le Règne Minéral 1997, 13, p. 5-18.
*Dubru. M, (1986) Pétrologie et géochimie du marbre à brucite et des borates associés au gisement de tungstène de Costabonne, (Pyrénées orientales, France) 930p.
*J.C. Escande, Z. Johan, J. Lougnon, P. Picot, F. Pillard : "Note sur la présence de minéraux de bismuth dans un filon de barytine et fluorine à Faymont, près Le Val-d'Ajol (Vosges)", Bull. Soc. Fr. Minéral. Cristallogr., 1973, 96, 398-399.
*Georges Favreau - Favreau G., Eytier J-R., Eytier C. (2010), Les minéraux de la mine de Falgayrolles (Aveyron), Le Cahier des Micromonteurs, n°109
*Inventaire Minéralogique de la France N°7, p127-128.
* KJMM 2:11-15 "Cap Garonne Secondary Copper and Lead - W.R. van den Berg"*K. Walenta: "Die Mineralien des Schwarzwaldes", Weise (Munich), 1992.
*Palache, C., Berman, H., & Frondel, C. (1951), The System of Mineralogy of James Dwight Dana and Edward Salisbury Dana, Yale University 1837-1892, Volume II: 944.
*Wittern, A. (1995) Mineralien finden im Schwarzwald.
*Wittern: "Mineralfundorte in Deutschland", 2001.
*Schrenk, D. (2000): Die Minerale des Steinbruchs 'Blessing' bei Hornberg. Erzgräber, 14 (1), 10-17.
*Lapis, 18 (2), 13-24.
*S. Weiss: "Mineralfundstellen, Deutschland West", Weise (Munich), 1990.
*Belendorff, K & Petitjean, K. (1987): Reichenbach im Odenwald. Die Mineralien von Fundpunkt 16.1. bei Reichenbach. LAPIS 12 (10), 23-32 + 58.
*J. Gröbner und U. Kolitsch (2006): Neufunde aus dem Erzgebirge (II). Mineralien-Welt 17 (3), 22-27.
*Frenzel, A. (1874): Mineralogisches Lexicon für das Königreich Sachsen.
*Gröbner, J. and Kolitsch, U. (2007): The minerals of the uranium prospect at Tirpersdorf, Vogtland. Lapis 32, 37-42; 58.
*Matthies, A. (2009): Mechelgrün im Sächsischen Vogtland: Uranmineralien als Haldenfunde. Lapis 34 (3), 41-43.
*T. Witzke et al.: Lapis 2001(12), 13-27.
*Jansa, J., Novák, F., Pauliš, P., Scharmová, M.: Supergenní minerály Sn-W ložiska Cínovec v Krušných horách (Česká republika). Bulletin mineralogicko-petrografického oddělení Národního muzea v Praze, 1998, roč. 6, s. 83-101.
*Sejkora, J., Škoda, R., Škácha, P., Bureš, B. & Dvořák, Z. (2009): Nové mineralogické nálezy na Sn-W ložisku Cínovec v Krušných horách (Česká republika). Bulletin mineralogicko-petrologického oddělení Národního muzea v Praze 17 (2), 23-30.
*Solomos, C., Voudouris, P. & Katerinopoulos, A. (2004): Mineralogical studies of bismuth-gold-antimony mineralization at the area of Kamariza, Lavrion. Bulletin of the Geological Society of Greece 34, Proceedings of the 10th International Congress, Thessaloniki, Greece, 387-396.
*Heymann, J. (1982): Al-Adamin. LAPIS 7 (3), 26-28.
*Lapis, 24, 7/8 (1999).
*Boscardin M., Gaetani E., Mattioli V. (1994)-Olivenite ed altre novità di Punta Corna, Valle di Viù, Piemonte-Rivista Mineralogica Italiana, Milano-Fasc. 2, pp 113–121.
*Ciriotti, M.E., Blaß, G. (2010): Pot-pourri 2009: Identificazioni UKiS AMI, Minerali italiani di interesse. Micro, 1/2010, 124-127.
*Vecchi, F., Rocchetti, I. & Gentile, P. (2013): Die Mineralien des Granits von Predazzo, Provinz Trient, Italien. Mineralien-Welt, 24(6), 98-117.
*Orlandi, P. & Criscuolo, A. (2009). Minerali del marmo delle Alpi Apuane. Pacini editore, Pisa, 180 pp.
*Panczner(1987).
{{Commons category
Arsenate minerals
Bismuth minerals
Copper(II) minerals
Hexagonal minerals
Minerals in space group 176