MINERALOGICAL
JOURNAL,
DJURLEITE,
VOL.
3, Nos.
5 & 6, pp. 338-344,
A NEW COPPER
NOBUO
M
ineralogical
SULPHIDE
AUG.,
1962
MINERAL
MORIMOTO
Department,
University
of Tokyo
ABSTRACT
Djurleite, a new copper sulphide of or about Cu1.96Scomposition, is de
scribed. Chalcocite-like materials from several localities in Japan and in
U. S. A. are identified as the new phase first synthesized by Djurle. The
density is 5.63. The X-ray powder data are in complete agreement with
those given by Djurle. The symmetry is orthorhombic.
The composition
is not accurately determined but appears to be approximately Cu1.96S. Djur
leite is found as a primary and secondary mineral associated with one or
more of the following minerals: digenite, bornite, chalcopyrite and pyrite.
Introduction
In the course
of recent
Cu5FeS4 solid solution
series, a number
vestigated
by the present
Kullerud,
19616); Morimoto
mens,
chalcocite-like
fecture,
obtained
were
sulphides
crystals
in press).
Of these
from the Ani mine,
diffraction
patterns
which
Akita
showed
speci
Pre
ortho
as of
those
synthesized
from
by Kullerud
the synthetic
and Kullerud5),
not studied
with compositions
they
composition
in detail
in 1958.
single
at that
time.
between
When
crystals
were thougt
between
and
and
from those of chalcocite and digenite as well
were, however, in complete agreement
with
compounds
photographs,
were in
(Morimoto
were
phase with
the material
of natural
Cu2S-Cu9S5-
which
first obtained
of Morimoto
ternary
and his collaborators
in the precession
from certain
and chalcocite,
of the
and Kullerud,
single
symmetry
quite different
bornite.
They
stable
writer
Japan, gave complex
rhombic
were
X-ray studies
the
The
from the Ani mine and this synthetic
patterns
in the
to belong
digenite
digenite
study
to a meta
and chalcocite,
but
agreement
between
material
indicates
N.
that
MORIMOTO
this phase also occurs in nature.
suggested
that
composition
the
So far materials
been
identified
Akita,
all
the
in
as Cu1.96S.
S. Djurle
by Sakurai,
The
phase
of
the Ani mine, have
are the Osarizawa
and the Nakauri
mine,
mine, Shizuoka,
U. S. A.
The
to this new mineral
Montana,
after
the compound*.
and mineral
association
from the Ani mine, collected by Aoki and supplied
are single
crystals
solution
localities
mine, Butte,
who first synthesized
specimens
be the new
including
to give the name djurleite
Occurrence
The
These
mine, Shizuoka,
and the Leonard
proposes
might
communication)
1958)2).
from five localities,
Rendaiji
Japan,
writer
Greig (private
Ani mine material
Cu1.96S (Djurle,
339
appear
crystals
of euhedral
to have grown
as a primary
forms
directly
growing
by
on quartz.
deposition
from
a
mineral.
Jimbos3) studied the material from the Osarizawa mine and iden
tified it as harrisite1), which he believed on the basis of morphology,
cleavege
after
and blow pipe experiments,
galena.
small
octahedral
large
crystals
The
mineral
sist of fine crystallites,
colour
is dark
occurs in aggregates
faces showing
are 2cm.
lead-grey
to be a pseudomorph
long.
galena-like
and bluish
black.
cite.
It consists
with
digenite,
The
quartz
of aggregates
bornite
specimen
by Switzer
* Eugene
galena.
The
density
determined
mine (U. S. National
Museum
as
of fine crystallites
Rendaiji
ore in the form of minute
con
in 1959, and is labelled
and very small amounts
from the
however,
after
The
with
Some of the
crystals,
pseudomorphs
pycnometrically
is 5.63.
The specimen from the Leonard
R-9925) was supplied
of cube crystals
cleavages.
The "single"
apparently
of chalcocite
mine
No.
chalco
and is associated
of chalcopyrite.
is found
lamellar aggregates
in "chalcocite"
with
digenite.
H . Roseboom, Jr. (Am. Mineral., in press) independently
found the same mineral from a number of localities.
He and the writer
agreed to use the name djurleite.
has
have
340
Table
Djurleite,
1.
X-ray powder
a New Copper
data for synthetic
Sulphide
Mineral
Cu1.96S, djurleite
and chalcocite.
N. MORIMOTO
X-ray
The
tioned
They
X-ray
above,
powder
patterns
were obtained
agree
completely
by Djurle.
341
studies
of minerals
from the localities
by means of the
with
Norelco
men
diffractometer.
Cu1.96S given
1, the powder data of some of the materials are
In Table
the data of the synthetic
given together
with those of the synthetic
Cu1.96S by Djurle.
For
comparison,
the data of chalcocite from the St. Ires Consols mine,
Redruth,
Cornwall,
also given
England
No appreciable
observed
This
displacements
in the powder
suggests
The
(U. S. National
Museum
No. R-7909), are
in the same table.
patterns
a narrow,
principal
leite in powder
of corresponding
of all djurleite
specimens
if any, solid solution
points of distinction
patterns
are that
peak positions
examined.
range.
between
strong
are
chalcocite
reflections
with
and djur
d-values
of
3.31A. and 2.72A. for chalcocite are either very weak or not observed
for djurleite and that the three strongest reflections with d-values
of 1.96 A., 1.87 A. and 2.39 A. for djurleite
values
small
for chalcocite.
in chalcocite,
method,
If the amount
idenfication
by
is compared
Kullerud.
intensity
of djurleite,
photographs
in Fig. 1 with
They
differences
show
Synthetic
between
from
Cu1.96S
sin2Į's
however,
0
is very
only by the X-ray
by
2.
Djurleite,
the
Osarizawa
3.
Djurleite,
the
Leonard
the
Rendaiji
the
of the specimen
of the
same
powder
1
from the Ani
material
patterns,
the corresponding
(Djurle,
given
that
almost
Table
1.
of djurleite,
to smaller
is difficult.
One of the precession
mine
are displaced
synthesized
except
reflections.
Although
(cont.)
1958)2).
The
d-values
are
calculated
Djurle.
mine,
Akita,
mine,
Butte,
mine,
Shizuoka,
Japan
Montana,
(Cu/Ni
U.
radiation).
S. A.
(Cu/Ni
diation).
4.
Djurleite,
5.
Chalcocite,
(Cu/Ni
the
radiation).
St.
Ires
small
Consols
mine,
Japan
Redruth,
(Cu/Ni
Cornwall,
radiation).
England
ra
342
Djurleite, a New Copper Sulphide Mineral
the
patterns
show
the same fundamental
reflections
as those
of di
genite and bornite (Morimoto and Kullerud,
of subsidiary reflections is quite different.
1959)5), the distribution
These subsidiary
reflec
tions, suggesting
the existence
of long
make
to determine
it difficult
space group.
The symmetry
of some kind
the accurate
obtained
range
ordering,
cell dimensions
and
the
is orthorhombic.
Chemical composition
The
chemical
mine was given
Table
2.
composition
as shown
of the
in Table
material
from
The chemical
Chemical composition
of djurleite.
culated
from the
ed by
Shimizu
According
to
observations,
cussed
plete
The
Theoretical
Cu2S.
Theoretical
Cu1 .96S.
Djurleite
from the Osarizawa
mine (analyst
S. S h i m i z u,
1906)4) 9).
All the
Under
polished
sections
the microscope,
djurleite
formula
result
which
djurleite
of unmixing
identical
very
with
in most cases that
analysis
so
di
comp
given above, therefore,
only represents
the composition
of a djurleite-digenite
mixture.
observations
were mounted
was observed
(Ani and Rendaiji
with the "lamellaren
is
separation is not possible.
result
of the chemical
in cold
setting
mines).
Kupferglanz"
plastic .
to occur as:
(a) Minute intermixed lamellae of mostly djurleite
The lamellae appear to have formed along octahedral
result
cal
obtain
will be dis
interlaminated
genite
Microscope
Osarizawa
is Cu1.91Fe0.01S.
the microscope
below,
closely
1.
2.
3.
the
2.
This
and digenite.
planes as a
texture
described
(b) Aggregates
of djurleite forming relatively
fine grains of digenite (Leonard mine).
large
may be
by Ramdohr7).
grains
with
Mineralogical
Journal,
Fig. 1. The precession photographs of
Vol. 3.
N. MORIMOTO, Plate
I
N.
(c)
Extremely
nite (Osarizawa
Bornite,
MORIMOTO
fine intermixed
and pyrite
djurleite
in some specimens.
however,
has not been observed
In reflected
light,
of both djurleite
is higher
and dige
in association
associated
is less bluish
that
than
of digenite
Using polarized
djurleite,
of djurleite
digenite
and that
light, djurleite
from bluish to yellowish
and scratching-hardnesses
with
with
so far.
than. both
and changes
are observed
Chalcocite
djurleite
in air as well as in oil.
anisotropic
grains
mine).
chalcopyrite
reflectivity
343
its
of bornite
is moderately
tint.
are almost
and
The polishing-,
identical
with
those
of digenite.
Stability
According
samples
to
of
400•Ž.
between
temperature
form
down,
being
has
and
that
djurleite
not
in
been
All
the
believed
chalcocite,
to
into
about
to
form
between
and
although
a
Its•@ low
high-temper-
Roseboom8)
has,
tetragonal
and
is
chalcocite,
100•‹and
digenite
may
chalcocite
from
75•Ž.
100•Ž.
plus
synthetic
quenched
from
transforms
digenite
in
Cu1.99S
quenched
at
occurring
the
150•‹.
contain
coexisting
reaction
These
re
small
amounts
with
djurleite
found.
specimens
to
present
high-temperature
chalcocite
nature,
is
Cu1.82S
symmetry
the
heating,
reversible
suggest
phase
Cu1.99S
symmetry
that
on
to
low
cubic
reported
breaks
of
with
with
however,
Cu1 .96S
between
Cu1.84S
form
ature
this
compositions
and
sults
Djurle,
be
of
chalcocite.
especially
djurleite
This
co-existing
so
far
suggests
with
identified
that
many
digenite,
may
were
previously
specimens
really
labelled
be
djurleite.
Acknowledgements
The
morphological
chemical
taken
analyses
in
The
the
writer
and
on
Mineralogical
expresses
X-ray
djurleite
from
single
various
Department,
his
thanks
crystal
localities
University
to
studies
Professor
and
were
of
the
under
Tokyo.
R.
Sadanaga,
T.
344
Djurleite,
a New Copper
_Watanabe, and A. Miyashiro
reviewing
for their
the manuscript.
writer
of djurleite
in this work and for
is indebted
him with material
for the material
is also indebted
crystals
Mineral
interests
The writer
and Mr. T. Aoki for supplying
and to Dr. G. Switzer
Sulphide
from
to Dr. G. Kullerud
and for critically
to Dr. K. Sakurai
from the
the Leonard
Ani mine,
mine.
for his synthesis
reading
the manuscript,
The
of single
to Dr.
J. W..Greig
for his suggestion
and microscope
observation
on the
material
from the Ani mine, and to Dr. A. Kato for his preparing
polished
sections and his help in microscope observations.
Drs. T.
Kato, F. Marumo and Mr. M. Ohmasa
kindly helped the writer
in this study.
REFERENCES
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
Dana, E. S.: System of Mineralogy,
6th Ed., 56 (1900).
Djurle, S.: Acta Chem. Scand., 12, 1415 (1958).
Jimbo, K.: Jour. Geol. Soc. Tokyo, 11, 387 (1904) (in Japanese).
Harada, Z.: Jour. Fac. Sci. Hokkaido Imp. Univ., Ser. IV, 3, 221 (1936).
Morimoto, N. and G. Kullerud : Carnegie
Inst. of Washington,
Year
Book, 1959-1960, 116 (1959).
Morimoto, N. and G. Kullerud : Amer. Miner., 46, 1270 (1961).
Ramdohr, P.:
Erzmineralien
and ihre Verwachsungen,
410: Akademie
Verlag, Berlin (1960).
Roseboom, E. H.:
Abst, in Program
1960 Annual Meetings
of Geol. Soc.
Amer., etc. 191 (1960).
Wada, T.: Beitr. z. Mineral. v. Japan, Nr. 2, 55 (1906).
Manuscript
received Jan. 7, 1962.