Moorhouseite
Sulfate mineral
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Moorhouseite is a rare mineral with the formula CoSO4•6H2O, a naturally occurring cobalt(II) sulfate hexahydrate. It is the lower-hydrate-equivalent of bieberite (heptahydrate) and aplowite (hexahydrate). It is also hydrated equivalent of cobaltkieserite. It occurs together with moorhouseite within efflorescences found in the Magnet Cove Barium Corporation mine in Walton, Nova Scotia, Canada.[6][7]
| Moorhouseite | |
|---|---|
| General | |
| Category | Sulfate mineral |
| Formula | CoSO4•6H2O |
| IMA symbol | Mh[1] |
| Strunz classification | 7.CB.25 |
| Crystal system | Monoclinic |
| Crystal class | Prismatic (2/m) (same H-M symbol) |
| Space group | C2/c |
| Unit cell | a = 10.03, b = 7.23, c = 24.26 [Å], β=98.37o (approximated); Z = 8 |
| Identification | |
| Color | Pink |
| Crystal habit | granular; in crusts and efflorescences |
| Fracture | Conchoidal |
| Mohs scale hardness | 2.5 |
| Luster | Vitreous |
| Streak | White |
| Density | 1.97-2.02 (measured) |
| Common impurities | Ni, Mn, Cu, Fe |
| References | [2][3][4][5] |
Notes on chemistry
Crystal structure
Analysis of synthetic analogue of moorhouseite revealed, that its structure may be described as containing:[9]
- Co(H2O)6 octahedra, forming alternate layers
- SO4 tetrahedra
- hydrogen bonds (two per a single water molecule)