Sep 10 2013
Avdoninite was first observed in Tolbachik Eruption, Tolbachik volcano, Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia in 2005. the mineral was named after Vladimir Nikolaevich Avdonin, a senior researcher at the Ural Geological Museum, Ural State Mining University.
Properties of Avdoninite
The following are the key properties of Avdoninite:
- Cell Data
- Space Group: P2/m, Pm, or P2
- a = 24.34(2)
- b = 5.878(4)
- c = 11.626(5)
- β = 93.3(1)°
- Z = 4.
- Crystal Data
- Monoclinic
- Point Group: 2/m, m or 2
- As crusts; crystals, poorly formed, short-prismatic to thick tabular, to 0.2 mm; with {001}, {100}
- X-ray Powder Pattern: 11.63 (100), 5.80 (27), 5.88 (20), 2.518 (19), 5.73 (17), 2.321 (17), 3.052 (15).
- Chemical Composition
| Elements |
Content |
| CuO |
51.43 |
| Cl |
37.07 |
| K2O |
11.94 |
| -O=Cl2 |
8.37 |
| H2O |
6.9 |
| Total |
98.97 |
- Optical Properties
- Optical Class: Biaxial
- α = 1.669(2)
- β = 1.688(2)
- γ = 1.707(5)
- 2V = 90(2)°
- Orientation: Y = c ; X = b (?).
- Estimated Properties
| Electron density |
Bulk density (electron density) = 2.92 g/cm3
note: Specific gravity of Avdoninite = 3.06 g/cm3 |
| Photoelectric |
PEAvdoninite = 21.88 barns/electron
U = PEAvdoninite x ρ Electron density = 63.82 barns/cm3 |
| Fermion index |
Fermion index = 0.00006
Boson index = 0.99 |
|
Radioactivity
|
Avdoninite is barely detectable.
|
How to Identify Avdoninite
Avdoninite is a transparent, green mineral having vitreous luster and a pale green streak. It exhibits brittle fractures as displayed by glasses and most of the non-metallic minerals. This mineral can be observed as prismatic crystals or in tabular forms. The hardness of the mineral is 3, and its density is 3.03 g/cm3.
Global Distribution
Avdoninite is distributed in the following places:
- Yadovitaya fumaroles, Second Cinder Cone, Northern Breach of the Tolbachik Large Fissure Eruption, Tolbachik Volcano, Kamchatka Region, Russia.
- Blyava deposit, Orenburg oblast and dumps at the Degtyarka deposit, Sverdlovsk oblast, Russia.
Occurrence of Avdoninite and Useful Mineral Association
Avdoninite occurs as a product of precipitation from fumarolic gases. It is also reported as an alteration on massive sulfide ore exposed at the Earth’s surface. The mineral is closely associated with atacamite, langbeinite, belloite, paratacamite and euchlorite.
References