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Chalcocite

Sulfide mineral

Field	Value
name	Chalcocite
category	Sulfide minerals
image	Chalcocite-253980.jpg
caption	Chalcocite from Cornwall
formula	copper(I) sulfide: Cu2S
IMAsymbol	Cc
strunz	2.BA.05a
system	Monoclinic
class	Prismatic (2/m)
(same H-M symbol)
symmetry	P21/c
unit cell	a = 15.246(4) Å,
b = 11.884(2) Å,
c = 13.494(3) Å;
β = 116.35(1)°; Z = 48
color	Dark gray to black
habit	Tabular to prismatic crystals also massive to granular, (pseudo-orthorhombic)
twinning	Common on {110} yielding pseudohexagonal stellate forms
cleavage	Indistinct on {110}
fracture	Conchoidal
tenacity	Brittle to sectile
mohs	–3
luster	Metallic
streak	Shiny black to lead gray
gravity	5.5–5.8
fusibility	2–2.5
diaphaneity	Opaque
references

(same H-M symbol) b = 11.884(2) Å, c = 13.494(3) Å; β = 116.35(1)°; Z = 48

Chalcocite (), copper(I) sulfide (Cu2S), is an important copper ore mineral. It is opaque and dark gray to black, with a metallic luster. It has a hardness of 2.5–3 on the Mohs scale. It is a sulfide with a monoclinic crystal system.

The term chalcocite from the Greek khalkos, meaning "copper". It is also known as redruthite, vitreous copper, or copper-glance.

Occurrence

Chalcocite is sometimes found as a primary vein mineral in hydrothermal veins. However, most chalcocite occurs in the supergene enriched environment below the oxidation zone of copper deposits as a result of the leaching of copper from the oxidized minerals. It is also often found in sedimentary rocks.

It has been mined for centuries and is one of the most profitable copper ores. The reasons for this is its high copper content (66.7% atomic ratio and nearly 80% by weight) and the ease at which copper can be separated from sulfur.

Since chalcocite is a secondary mineral that forms from the alteration of other minerals, it has been known to form pseudomorphs of many different minerals. A pseudomorph is a mineral that has replaced another mineral atom by atom, but it leaves the original mineral's crystal shape intact. Chalcocite has been known to form pseudomorphs of the minerals bornite, covellite, chalcopyrite, pyrite, enargite, millerite, galena and sphalerite.

Chalcocite crystals from the Mammoth Mine, Mount Isa – Cloncurry area, Queensland, Australia (size: 3.0 x 2.9 x 2.4 cm)

References

Dana's Manual of Mineralogy
Mineral Galleries

References

Warr, L.N.. (2021). "IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols". Mineralogical Magazine.
[https://www.mineralienatlas.de/lexikon/index.php/MineralData?mineral=Chalcocite Mineralienatlas]
[http://www.mindat.org/min-962.html Mindat.org]
[https://webmineral.com/data/Chalcocite.shtml Webmineral.com]
[https://rruff.geo.arizona.edu/doclib/hom/chalcocite.pdf Handbook of Mineralogy]
{{cite Collins Dictionary. chalcocite
{{cite Dictionary.com. chalcocite
{{cite EB1911

Info: Wikipedia Source

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