Editorial Feature

Attikaite – Occurrence, Properties, and Distribution

May 13 2014

Attikaite was named after the place of its first occurrence. Attikaite was first discovered at Attiki Prefecture (Attika) in Greece.

Properties of Attikaite

The following are the key properties of attikaite:

Cell Data
- Space group: Pban or Pbam or Pba2
- a = 10.01(1)
- b = 8.199(5)
- c = 22.78(1)
- Z = 4

Crystal Data
- Orthorhombic
- Point group: 2/m 2/m 2/m or mm2
- As bent, scaly crystals, flattened on [001] to 0.080mm; in spherical aggregates to 0.3mm
- X-ray powder pattern: 22.8 (100), 5.01 (90), 2.780 (70), 11.36 (60), 3.38 (50), 2.503 (50), 2.682 (30)

Chemical Composition

Elements	Content 1
MgO	0.17
CaO	17.48
FeO	0.12
CuO	16.28
Al₂O₃	10.61
P₂O₅	0.89
As₂O₅	45.45
SO₃	1.39
H₂O	7.61
Total	100

Optical Properties
- Transparent
- Color: pale blue to greenish-blue, colorless in transmitted light
- Streak: very pale blue
- Luster: vitreous
- Optical Class: Biaxial (-)
- α = 1.642(2); β = γ = 1.644(2)
- 2V(meas) = 10(8)°; 2V(calc) = 0°
- Orientation: X=c

Estimated Properties

Electron density	Bulk density (electron density) = 3.22 g/cm³ note: Specific gravity of attikaite = 3.36 g/cm³
Photoelectric	PE_Attikaite = 27.59 barns/electron U=PE_Attikaite x ρ electron density= 88.92 barns/cm³
Fermion index	Fermion index = 0.0005171588 Boson index = 0.999482
Radioactivity	Attikaite is not radioactive.

How to Identify Attikaite

Attikaite appears as a pale blue to greenish-blue mineral, which is colorless in transmitted light. It is flexible and exhibits a hardness of 2 to 2.5.

Global Distribution

Attikaite is found in the Christina no:132 mine, Kamareza, Laurion District located in the Attiki Prefecture (Attika) in Greece.

Occurrence of Attikaite and Useful Mineral Association

Attikaite occurs in the oxidized portions of ploymetallic sulfide quartz veins.

It is associated with arsenocrandallite, arsenogoyazite, conichalcite, olivenite, philipsbornite, azurite, carminite, beudantite, goethite, quartz, and allophone.