Volfsonite Mineral Data

General Volfsonite Information

Chemical Formula:

Cu+10Cu++Fe++Fe+++2Sn++++3S16

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 1,735.73 gm

Iron 9.65 % Fe

Copper 40.27 % Cu

Tin 20.52 % Sn

Sulfur 29.56 % S

______

100.00 %

Empirical Formula:

Cu₁₀CuFe²⁺Fe³⁺₂Sn₃S₁₆

Environment:

Volfsonite is now considered stannite.

IMA Status:

Not Approved IMA 1985 - Published 1986

Locality:

Soviet Central Asia (Siberia). Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Not given in abstract.

Volfsonite Image

Images:

Volfsonite Stannite

Comments: Stannite crystal cluster at the base of a quartz crystal. Volfsonite is now consideres stannite.
Location: Yaogangxian mine, Hunan, China. Scale: Crystal size 3 cm.
© John Attard

Images:

Volfsonite Stannite

Comments: Bluish-black octahedron of stannite (also known as volfsonite).
Location: Yaogangxian Wolfram mine, Yizhang County, Hunan Province, China. Scale: See Image.
© Rruff Database

Volfsonite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:c = 1:0.5

Cell Dimensions:

a = 10.78, c = 5.39, Z = 1; V = 626.36 Den(Calc)= 4.60

Crystal System:

TetragonalSpace Group: P 4₂m-,P 42₁2

Physical Properties of Volfsonite

Color:

Bronze brown.

Diaphaneity:

Opaque

Hardness:

4 - Fluorite

Luster:

Metallic

Calculated Properties of Volfsonite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=4.26 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Volfsonite =4.60 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.03
Boson Index = 0.97

Photoelectric:

PE_Volfsonite= 84.04 barns/electron
U=PE_Volfsonite x rElectron Density= 357.70 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Volfsonite is Not Radioactive

Volfsonite Classification

Dana Class:

02.00.00.00 (02)Sulfide Minerals

(02.00)Without Dana Classification Numbers

(02.00.00)Sulfosalt - Sn

02.00.00.00 Argentite* Ag2S I m3m 4/m 3 2/m

02.00.00.00 Bayankhanite? Cu6HgS4 Unk Hex

02.00.00.00 Bismutoplagionite* 5PbS.4Bi2S3 Unk Ortho

02.00.00.00 Bravoite? (Fe,Ni,Co)S2 P a3 2/m 3

02.00.00.00 Colimaite K3VS4 P nma 2/m 2/m 2/m

02.00.00.00 Dayingite* CuCoPtS4 F m3m 4/m 3 2/m

02.00.00.00 Dilithium* Li2Te P 222 2 2 2

02.00.00.00 Dzhezkazganite* (Pb,Cu,Rh)S2(?) P a3? 2/m 3

02.00.00.00 Ferdisilicite* FeSi2 P 4/mmm 4/m 2/m 2/m

02.00.00.00 Fersilicite* FeSi P 2₁3 2 3

02.00.00.00 Horobetsuite* (Bi,Sb)2S3 Pbnm 2/m 2/m 2/m

02.00.00.00 Horomanite Fe6Ni3S8 P 4/mmm 4mm

02.00.00.00 Imgreite? NiTe P 6₃/mmc 6/m 2/m 2/m

02.00.00.00 Iridisite* (Ir,Cu,Rh,Ni,Pt)S2 Unk Cubic

02.00.00.00 Isochalcopyrite? Cu8Fe9S16 Unk Cubic

02.00.00.00 Jaipurite* CoS P 6₃/mmc 6/m 2/m 2/m

02.00.00.00 Kitaibelite? Ag10PbBi30S51 Mono ? Mono

02.00.00.00 Kurilite? (Ag,Au)2(Te,Se,S) P m3n,P 4₃n Cubic

02.00.00.00 Plumosite* Pb2Sb2S5 Mono

02.00.00.00 Protojoseite* Bi4TeS2(?) R 3m 3 2/m

02.00.00.00 Samaniite Cu2Fe5Ni2S8 P 4₁/mmm 4mm

02.00.00.00 Stibioenargite* Cu3(Sb,As)S4 Unk Ortho

02.00.00.00 Sztrokayite* Bi3TeS2 Trig ? Trig

02.00.00.00 Volfsonite* Cu10CuFeFe2Sn3S16 P 4₂m-,P 42₁2 Tetra

Strunz Class:

02.XX.00 02 - SULFIDES and SULFOSALTS (sulfides, selenides, tellurides; arsenides, antimonides, bismuthides; sulfarsenites, sulf

02.X - Unclassified Strunz SULFIDES and SULFOSALTS (sulfides, selenides, tellurides; arsenides, antimonides, bismuthides; sulfarse

02.XX -Sulfosalt - Sn

02.XX.00 Isochalcopyrite? Cu8Fe9S16 Unk Cubic

02.XX.00 Bayankhanite? Cu6HgS4 Unk Hex

02.XX.00 Bravoite? (Fe,Ni,Co)S2 P a3 2/m 3

02.XX.00 Dzhezkazganite* (Pb,Cu,Rh)S2(?) P a3? 2/m 3

02.XX.00 Dilithium* Li2Te P 222 2 2 2

02.XX.00 Horobetsuite* (Bi,Sb)2S3 Pbnm 2/m 2/m 2/m

02.XX.00 Horsfordite? Cu5Sb Unk Cubic

02.XX.00 Kurilite? (Ag,Au)2(Te,Se,S) P m3n,P 4₃n Cubic

02.XX.00 Imgreite? NiTe P 6₃/mmc 6/m 2/m 2/m

02.XX.00 Matraite? ZnS R 3m 3m

02.XX.00 Iridisite* (Ir,Cu,Rh,Ni,Pt)S2 Unk Cubic

02.XX.00 Kitaibelite? Ag10PbBi30S51 Mono ? Mono

02.XX.00 Jeromite? As(S,Se)2 None

02.XX.00 Parajamesonite? Pb4FeSb6S14 Unk Ortho

02.XX.00 Volfsonite* Cu10CuFeFe2Sn3S16 P 4₂m-,P 42₁2 Tetra

02.XX.00 Prassoite Rh17S15(?) P m3m 4/m 3 2/m

02.XX.00 Sakharovaite? (Pb,Fe)(Bi,Sb)2S4 Mono

02.XX.00 Samaniite Cu2Fe5Ni2S8 P 4₁/mmm 4mm

02.XX.00 Tazieffite! Pb20Cd2(As,Bi)22S50Cl10 C 2/c 2/m

02.XX.00 Horomanite Fe6Ni3S8 P 4/mmm 4mm

Other Volfsonite Information

References:

NAME( AmMin, v73:441) PHYS. PROP.(Am.Min.,Vol.73,p441,1988)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Volfsonite :
1 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
2 - Athena
3 - GeoScienceWorld
4 - Google Images
5 - Google Scholar
6 - MinDAT
7 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
8 - Online Mineral Museum
9 - QUT Mineral Atlas
10 - Ruff.Info

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Print or Cut-and-Paste your Volfsonite Specimen Label here :

Volfsonite

Cu+10Cu++Fe++Fe+++2Sn++++3S16
Dana No: 02.00.00.00 Strunz No: 02.XX.00
Locality:

Notes: