Paratacamite

Cu2 Cl(OH)3c 2001-2005 Mineral Data Publishing, version 1Crystal Data: Hexagonal. Point Group: 3. As rhombohedral crystals, with prominent{1011}, {0221}, {0112}, {0001}, a number of other forms; twins elongated along [1011], to
1.5 cm; granular massive, powdery as incrustations. Twinning: Common on {1011}, may bepolysynthetic.
Physical Properties:
Cleavage: {1011}, good. Fracture: Conchoidal to uneven.
Hardness = 3 D(meas.) = 3.72–3.74 D(calc.) = 3.75
Optical Properties: Translucent to nearly opaque. Color: Green to dark green, greenish black;in transmitted light, green. Streak: Green. Luster: Vitreous.
Optical Class: Uniaxial (+); commonly anomalously biaxial. Dispersion: r > v.
ω = 1.843–1.844  = 1.848–1.849 2V(meas.) = ≤ 50◦
Cell Data:

Space Group: R3. a = 13.654(5)c = 14.041(6)Z = 24

X-ray Powder Pattern: Sierra Gorda [district], Chile; almost identical to clinoatacamite.
(ICDD 19-389).
5.46 (100), 2.750 (80), 2.258 (60), 1.704 (45), 1.813 (35), 2.888 (30), 4.67 (25)
Chemistry:Cu
CuOCl(1)
14.27
56.10
15.97

(2)
14.60
55.98
16.29

(3)
14.88
55.87
16.60

(1)
H2 O+
H2 O−
H2 O

14.10

(2)
13.10
0.03

(3)

12.65

Total
100.44[100.00]
100.00(1) Generosa mine, Chile; same material later shown by electron microprobe to also containZn 2.45%. (2) Remolinos, Chile; recalculated to 100% after deduction of insoluble 0.97%.
(3) Cu2 Cl(OH)3 .
Polymorphism & Series:

Polymorphous with atacamite, botallackite, and clinoatacamite.

Occurrence: An oxidation product of other copper minerals, especially under arid, salineconditions; in fumarolic deposits; a weathering product of sulfides in subsea black smoker deposits.
Association: Clinoatacamite, caracolite, schwartzembergite, osarizawaite-beaverite, boleite(Sierra Gorda district, Chile).
Distribution: In Chile, from the Generosa and Herminia mines, Sierra Gorda district, theQueténa mine, west of Calama, and at Chuquicamata, Antofagasta; from Nantoko, Copiapó
district, and Remolinos, Atacama. At the Cerro Negro volcano, Nicaragua. In the USA, at theLost Soldier mine, Weeks, Churchill district, and at the Douglas Hill mine and Mason Pass,
Yerington district, Lyon Co., Nevada; large crystals from Bisbee, Cochise Co., and in theMammoth-St. Anthony mine, Tiger, Pinal Co., Arizona. From the Botallack and other mines, St.
Just, and several other places in Cornwall, England. On Vesuvius, Campania, Italy. At Laurium,Greece, in slag. In the Tchah Khuni and Kali Kafi mines, near Anarak, Iran. In Australia,from Moonta-Wallaroo, and at the Dome Rock mine, north of Mingary, South Australia; in theNangaroo mine, Murrin-Murrin, and the Carr Boyd Rocks mine, Western Australia; and atBroken Hill, New South Wales. Along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, in the TAG hydrothermal field. A
few other localities have been confirmed.
Name:

From the Greek for near, and for its relation to atacamite.

Type Material: The Natural History Museum, London, England, 86958; National Museum of
Natural History, Washington, D.C., USA, 95146.
References: (1) Palache, C., H. Berman, and C. Frondel (1951) Dana’s system of mineralogy,(7th edition), v. II, 74–76. (2) Fleet, M.E. (1975) The crystal structure of paratacamite,
Cu2 (OH)3 Cl. Acta Cryst., 31, 183–187. (3) Jambor, J.L., J.E. Dutrizac, A.C. Roberts, J.D. Grice,and J.T. Szymański (1996) Clinoatacamite, a new polymorph of Cu2 (OH)3 Cl, and its relationshipto paratacamite and “anarakite”. Can. Mineral., 34, 61–72. (4) Grice, J.D., J.T. Szymański, andJ.L. Jambor (1996) The crystal structure of clinoatacamite, a new polymorph of Cu2 (OH)3 Cl.
Can. Mineral., 34, 73–78.
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