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Chalcopyrite is an exception to most copper bearing minerals. In contrast to the majority of copper minerals which can be leached at atmospheric conditions, such as through heap leaching , chalcopyrite is a refractory mineral that requires elevated temperatures as well as oxidizing conditions to release its copper into solution. [ 25 ]
Bornite is an important copper ore mineral and occurs widely in porphyry copper deposits along with the more common chalcopyrite.Chalcopyrite and bornite are both typically replaced by chalcocite and covellite in the supergene enrichment zone of copper deposits.
Sphalerite possesses perfect dodecahedral cleavage, having six cleavage planes. [ 10 ] [ 18 ] In pure form, it is a semiconductor, but transitions to a conductor as the iron content increases. [ 19 ] It has a hardness of 3.5 to 4 on the Mohs scale of mineral hardness .
Minerals often have a highly distinctive fracture, making it a principal feature used in their identification. Fracture differs from cleavage in that the latter involves clean splitting along the cleavage planes of the mineral's crystal structure, as opposed to more general breakage. All minerals exhibit fracture, but when very strong cleavage ...
It has poor to indistinct cleavage and a brittle fracture. It has a Mohs hardness of 2.5 to 3 and a specific gravity of 5.6. It is found in copper sulfide deposits of both primary and supergene occurrences. It is typically associated with and often intergrown with chalcocite, covellite, djurleite, bornite, chalcopyrite and pyrite.
Pyrrhotite is brassy, bronze, or dark brown in color with a metallic luster and uneven or subconchoidal fracture. [14] Pyrrhotite may be confused with other brassy sulfide minerals like pyrite, chalcopyrite, or pentlandite. Certain diagnostic characteristics can be used for identification in hand samples.
Galena typically is found in hydrothermal veins in association with sphalerite, marcasite, chalcopyrite, cerussite, anglesite, dolomite, calcite, quartz, barite, and fluorite. It is also found in association with sphalerite in low-temperature lead-zinc deposits within limestone beds.
A pseudomorph is a mineral that has replaced another mineral atom by atom, but it leaves the original mineral's crystal shape intact. Chalcocite has been known to form pseudomorphs of the minerals bornite, covellite, chalcopyrite, pyrite, enargite, millerite, galena and sphalerite.