Chalcopyrite (/kalkoˈpairəit/) is a copper airn sulfide mineral that crystallizes in the tetragonal seestem. It haes the chemical composeetion CuFeS2. It haes a brassy tae gowden yellae colour an a haurdness o 3.5 tae 4 on the Mohs scale. Its streak is diagnostic as green tinged black.

Chalcopyrite
Twinned chalcopyrite crystal frae the Camp Bird Mine, Ouray Coonty, Colorado. Crystal is aboot 1 cm x 1 cm.
General
CategorySulfide mineral
Formula
(repeatin unit)
CuFeS2
Strunz clessification02.CB.10a
Creestal seestemTetragonal Scalenohedral 42m
Space groupTetragonal 42m – scalenohedral
Unit cella = 5.289 Å, c = 10.423 Å; Z = 4
Identification
Formula mass183.54
ColourBrass yellae, mey hae iridescent purplish tarnish.
Creestal habitPredominantly the disphenoid an resembles a tetrahedron, commonly massive, an whiles botryoidal.
TwinninPenetration twins
CleavageIndistinct on {011}
FracturIrregular tae uneven
TenacityBrickle
Mohs scale haurdness3.5
SkinkleMetallic
StreakGreenish black
DiaphaneityOpaque
Speceefic gravity4.1 – 4.3
SolubilitySoluble in HNO3
Ither chairacteristicsmagnetic on heatin
References[1][2][3][4][5]

On exposur tae air, chalcopyrite oxidises tae a variety o oxides, hydroxides an sulfates. Associated copper minerals include the sulfides bornite (Cu5FeS4), chalcocite (Cu2S), covellite (CuS), digenite (Cu9S5); carbonates lik malachite an azurite, an rarely as oxides lik cuprite (Cu2O). Chalcopyrite is rarely foond in association wi native copper.

References

eedit
  1. Klein, Cornelis and Cornelius S. Hurlbut, Jr., Manual of Mineralogy, Wiley, 20th ed., 1985, pp. 277 – 278 ISBN 0-471-80580-7
  2. Palache, C., H. Berman, and C. Frondel (1944) Dana’s system of mineralogy, (7th edition), v. I, 219–224
  3. http://www.mindat.org/min-955.html mindat.org
  4. http://webmineral.com/data/Chalcopyrite.shtml Webmineral.com
  5. Handbook of Mineralogy