What is Chalcopyrite?
Chalcopyrite could be a brass-yellow mineral with
a chemical composition of CuFeS2. It happens in most sulphide mineral deposits
throughout the planet and has been the foremost vital ore of copper for
thousands of years.
The surface of mineral loses its golden luster and
brass-yellow color upon weathering. It tarnishes to a uninteresting, gray-green
color, however within the presence of acids the tarnish will develop a red to
blue to purple brightness.
The iridescent colours of weather-beaten mineral
attract attention. Some memento outlets sell mineral that has been treated with
acid as "peacock ore." But, "peacock ore" could be a a lot
of applicable name for the mineral peacock ore.
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| Chalcopyrite Cooper Iron Sulphide |
Physical Properties of Mineral
The most obvious physical properties of mineral
area unit its brassy yellow color, golden luster, and high relative density.
These provides it the same look to fool's gold and gold. identifying these
minerals is straightforward. Gold is soft, includes a yellow streak and
includes a abundant higher relative density. mineral is brittle and includes a
chromatic grey streak. fool's gold is tough enough that it can't be scraped
with a nail, however mineral is definitely scraped with a nail.
The name "fool's gold" is typically|most
frequently} related to fool's gold as a result of it's a lot of common and a
lot of often confused with gold. mineral is additionally confused with gold,
that the name "fool's gold" is additionally applied and applicable.
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Physical Properties of Chalcopyrite |
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Chemical Classification |
Sulfide |
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Color |
Brass yellow. Tarnishes to gray green,
sometimes iridescent. |
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Streak |
Greenish black |
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Luster |
Metallic |
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Diaphaneity |
Opaque |
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Cleavage |
Poor |
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Mohs Hardness |
3.5 to 4 |
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Specific Gravity |
4.1 to 4.3 |
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Diagnostic Properties |
Color, greenish streak, softer than pyrite,
brittle. |
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Chemical Composition |
Copper iron sulfide, CuFeS2. |
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Crystal System |
Tetragonal |
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Uses |
The most important ore of copper for
thousands of years. |
Geologic prevalence of Mineral
Chalcopyrite forms beneath a spread of conditions.
Some is primary, crystallization from melts as accent minerals in igneous
rocks. Some forms by rocktic segregation and is within the stratified rocks of
a magma chamber. Some happens in igneous rock dikes and call metamorphic rocks.
Some is disseminated through metamorphic rock and metamorphic rock. several
volcanogenic huge sulphide deposits containing mineral area unit illustrious.
The most vital mineral deposits to be well-mined
area unit hydrothermal in origin. In these, some mineral happens in veins and a
few replaces country rock. Associated ore minerals embrace fool's gold,
sphalerite, bornite, galena, and mineral.
Chalcopyrite is the copper supply for several
secondary mineral deposits. Copper is far from mineral by weathering or
resolution, transported a brief distance, then redeposited as secondary
sulphide, oxide, or carbonate minerals. several mineral, azurite, covellite,
chalcocite, and mineral deposits contain this secondary copper.
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| Fools Gold |
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| Stannite with Chalcopyrite |
Uses of Mineral
The only vital use of mineral is as Associate in
Nursing ore of copper, however this single use mustn't be tasteful. mineral has
been the first ore of copper since smelting began over 5 thousand years past.
Some mineral ores contain vital amounts of metal
subbing for iron. Others contain enough silver or gold that the valuable metal
content quite pays the prices of mining.