Middlebackite
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Middlebackite | |
|---|---|
| General | |
| Category | Organic mineral |
| Formula | Cu2C2O4(OH)2 |
| IMA symbol | Mbk[1] |
| Crystal system | Monoclinic |
| Crystal class | 2/m - Prismatic |
| Identification | |
| Color | Turquoise |
Middlebackite is an organic mineral with the formula Cu2C2O4(OH)2. It was first discovered within a boulder from the Iron Monarch quarry in South Australia in June 1990.[2] Peter Elliott from the University of Adelaide, Australia, identified the structure of the mineral 25 years later. He determined its crystal structure through single-crystal X-ray diffraction using synchrotron radiation. Elliot named the mineral for the Middleback Range where it originated.[3] In 2018 middlebackite was found in Val di Fiemme, Italy, during researches that brought to the discovery of a new mineral named fiemmeite.[4]
