a = 4.229 Å, b = 6.931 Å c = 7.862 Å; β = 99.61°; Z = 4
Identification
Color
Iron-black
Crystal habit
Primary crystals rare, prismatic to long prismatic, elongated along [001], may be tubular; massive. Commonly paramorphic after the cubic high-temperature phase ("argentite"), of original cubic or octahedral habit
Twinning
Polysynthetic on {111}, may be very complex due to inversion; contact on {101}
Cleavage
Indistinct
Fracture
Uneven
Tenacity
Sectile
Mohs scale hardness
2.0–2.5
Luster
Metallic
Streak
Black
Diaphaneity
Opaque
Specific gravity
7.20–7.22
References
[3][4][5][6]
Acanthite is a form of silver sulfide with the chemical formula Ag2S. It crystallizes in the monoclinic system and is the stable form of silver sulfide below 173 °C (343 °F). Argentite is the stable form above that temperature. As argentite cools below that temperature its cubic form is distorted to the monoclinic form of acanthite. Below 173 °C acanthite forms directly.[3][6] Acanthite is the only stable form in normal air temperature.
^Bonewitz, Ronald Louis (2012). Rocks and Minerals. Dorling Kindersley Limited. ISBN 978-0-7566-9042-7.
^ abAnthony, John W.; Bideaux, Richard A.; Bladh, Kenneth W.; Nichols, Monte C. (eds.). "Acanthite" (PDF). Handbook of Mineralogy. Chantilly, VA: Mineralogical Society of America.
^Mindat.org
^Webmineral data
^ abKlein, Cornelis and Cornelius S. Hurlbut, Manual of Mineralogy, Wiley, 20th ed., 1985, pp. 271-2 ISBN 0-471-80580-7
Acanthite is a form of silver sulfide with the chemical formula Ag2S. It crystallizes in the monoclinic system and is the stable form of silver sulfide...
in sewage treatment and paper mills. Three forms are known: monoclinic acanthite (β-form), stable below 179 °C, body centered cubic so-called argentite...
cools to ordinary temperatures it turns into its monoclinic polymorph, acanthite. The International Mineralogical Association has decided to reject argentite...
sulfides such as native silver, native arsenic, xanthoconite, stephanite, acanthite, tetrahedrite and chlorargyrite. Magnificent groups of large crystals...
pseudododecahedral crystals up to 3 cm (1.2 in), or as intergrowths with acanthite or naumannite. In the late 19th century, Ponciano Aguilar, superintendent...
minerals are inorganic compounds. Common or important examples include: Acanthite Ag2S Chalcocite Cu2S Bornite Cu5FeS4 Galena PbS Sphalerite ZnS Chalcopyrite...
for at least two ore minerals, silver sulfides.: 312 It may refer to: Acanthite, monoclinic silver sulfide, one of the most famous silver ore minerals...
~44 g Rhodium: 1 g powder, 1g pressed cylinder, 1 g pellet. Palladium Acanthite, or silver sulfide (Ag2S) Osmium crystals, 2.2 g Pieces of pure iridium...
same as that of mercury. It mostly occurs in sulfide ores, especially acanthite and argentite, Ag2S. Argentite deposits sometimes also contain native...
at temperatures less than 117 °C (243 °F). Associated minerals include acanthite, mckinstryite, galena, sphalerite, pyrite, chalcopyrite, stromeyerite...
surface (metastability): diamonds, cohenite and haxonite, for instance. Acanthite var. argentite (a pseudomorph after argentite) and β-quartz pseudomorphs...
epithermal sulfide minerals within steeply dipping normal fault veins. Acanthite and argentite are the principal silver ore minerals. Between 1973 through...
silver bearing veins in association with native silver, pyrargyrite, acanthite, stromeyerite, tetrahedrite, allemontite, galena, calcite and baryte....
Series (UVS) rhyolites and dacites. The main silver-bearing mineral is acanthite and native gold is associated with hydrothermal hematite. The base metal...
porphyry. Stromeyerite and highly argentiferous tetrahedrite with some acanthite were the most important ore minerals in the upper levels, and argentiferous...
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