Digenite
| Digenite | |
|---|---|
Digenite from the East Colusa Mine, Butte, Montana, USA. Specimen size = 4.3 cm
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| General | |
| Category | Sulfide mineral |
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Formula (repeating unit) |
Cu9S5 |
| Strunz classification | 2.BA.05e |
| Dana classification | 02.04.07.03 |
| Crystal system | Trigonal |
| Crystal class | Hexagonal scalenohedral (3m) H-M symbol: (3 2/m) |
| Space group | R3m |
| Identification | |
| Formula mass | 146.45 g/mol |
| Color | Blue to black |
| Crystal habit | Pseudocubic crystals are rare, usually as intergrowths with other copper sulfides |
| Cleavage | {111} (observed in synthetic material) |
| Fracture | Conchoidal |
| Tenacity | Brittle |
| Mohs scale hardness | 2.5 to 3 |
| Luster | Submetallic to metallic |
| Streak | Black |
| Diaphaneity | Opaque |
| Specific gravity | 5.5 to 5.7 observed, 5.628 calculated |
| Optical properties | Reflectivity: 21.6 at 540 nm |
| Other characteristics | Distinctly blue in polished sections |
| References | |
Digenite is a copper sulfide mineral with formula: Cu9S5. Digenite is a black to dark blue opaque mineral that crystallizes with a trigonal - hexagonal scalenohedral structure. In habit it is usually massive, but does often show pseudo-cubic forms. It has poor to indistinct cleavage and a brittle fracture. It has a Mohs hardness of 2.5 to 3 and a specific gravity of 5.6. It is found in copper sulfide deposits of both primary and supergene occurrences. It is typically associated with and often intergrown with chalcocite, covellite, djurleite, bornite, chalcopyrite and pyrite. The type locality is Sangerhausen, Thuringia, Germany, in copper slate deposits.
Digenite occurs in the transitional zone of supergene oxidation of primary sulfide ore deposits, at the interface between the upper and lower saprolite ore zones. It is rarely an important mineral for copper ores, as it is more usually replaced by chalcocite further up in the weathering profile, and is a minor weathering product of primary chalcopyrite. Natural digenite always contains a small amount of iron and is considered to be stable only in the Cu-Fe-S system.
In the Deflector and Deflector West Cu-Au lode deposits of the Gullewa Greenstone Belt, Western Australia, digenite is an important constituent of the transitional Cu-Au ore. However, it is difficult to treat metallurgically and remains a refractory ore type. In this locality digenite is found with covellite, chalcocite and bornite.
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