Tenorite
Tenorite | |
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General | |
Category | Oxide mineral |
Formula (repeating unit) | CuO |
IMA symbol | Tnr[1] |
Strunz classification | 4.AB.10 |
Crystal system | Monoclinic |
Crystal class | Prismatic (2/m) (same H-M symbol) |
Space group | C2/c |
Unit cell | a = 4.6837(5) Å b = 3.4226(5) Å c = 5.1288(6) Å; β = 99.47°; Z = 4 |
Identification | |
Color | Steel-gray, iron-gray, black |
Crystal habit | Lathlike crystals, curved, scaly, dendritic; commonly pulverulent, earthy, massive |
Twinning | Common on {011}, forming stellate groups; lamellar |
Cleavage | Poor to indistinct |
Fracture | Conchoidal to uneven |
Tenacity | Brittle; flexible and elastic in thin scales |
Mohs scale hardness | 3.5–4 |
Luster | Metallic to earthy |
Streak | Black |
Diaphaneity | Opaque, thin flakes transparent |
Specific gravity | 6.5 |
Optical properties | Biaxial (+) |
Pleochroism | Distinct; light to dark brown |
References | [2][3][4] |
Tenorite is a copper oxide mineral with the chemical formula CuO.
Occurrence
[edit]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a4/Kupferschw%C3%A4rze_%28Tenorit%29_mit_Azurit_-_Nischne_Tagilsk%2C_Ural.jpg/220px-Kupferschw%C3%A4rze_%28Tenorit%29_mit_Azurit_-_Nischne_Tagilsk%2C_Ural.jpg)
Tenorite occurs in the weathered or oxidized zone associated with deeper primary copper sulfide orebodies. Tenorite commonly occurs with chrysocolla and the copper carbonates, azurite and malachite. The dull grey-black color of tenorite contrasts sharply with the often intergrown blue chrysocolla. Cuprite, native copper and Fe–Mn oxides also occur in this environment.[2]
In addition to the hydrothermal, tenorite also occurs as a volcanic sublimate from Vesuvius, Campania, and Etna, Sicily, Italy. As a sublimate it occurs with copper chlorides, alkali chlorides and cotunnite.[2] The Vesuvian sublimate occurrence was originally named melaconise or melaconite by F. S. Beudant in 1832.[5]
Tenorite was named in 1841 after the Italian botanist Michele Tenore (1780–1861).[4]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Warr, L.N. (2021). "IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols". Mineralogical Magazine. 85 (3): 291–320. Bibcode:2021MinM...85..291W. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43. S2CID 235729616.
- ^ a b c Handbook of Mineralogy
- ^ Webmineral data
- ^ a b Mindat
- ^ Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press