Murdochite
| Murdochite | |
|---|---|
| General | |
| Category | Halide minerals |
| Formula | PbCu 6O 8−x(Cl,Br) 2x (x ≤ 0.5) |
| IMA symbol | Mdh |
| Strunz classification | 3.DB.45 |
| Crystal system | Cubic |
| Crystal class | Hexoctahedral (m3m) H-M symbol: (4/m 3 2/m) |
| Space group | Fm3m |
| Identification | |
| References | |
Murdochite is a mineral combining lead and copper oxides with the chemical formula PbCu
6O
8−x(Cl,Br)
2x (x ≤ 0.5).
It was first discovered in 1953 in the Mammoth-Saint Anthony Mine in Pinal County, Arizona by Percy W. Porter, a mining engineer who handpicked a 401.5-mg sample. Porter would later submit for analysis and it was then that Fred A. Hildebrand suggested that the sample was a new mineral after taking a powder x-ray picture. It was named for Joseph Murdoch (1890–1973), American mineralogist. Murdochite was first suggested to be of a cubic structure. After this suggestion, the term "murdochite-type structure" began to be used when describing a structure that is similar to that of murdochite. Murdochite was later found to be octahedral.