| Mineral. | Formula. |
| (1) in glass bulb. | (2) in open tube. | (3) on charcoal. | (4) in forceps. |
(5) in borax. | (6) in mic. salt. | (7) in carb. soda. | (8) Special Reactions. |
| Native Copper |
Cu. |
| — |
— |
Fuses to a brilliant metallic bead, which on
cooling becomes covered with a coating of black
oxide. |
Fuses and colors the outer flame blue. |
In the oxidizing flame dissolves and then gives
the copper reactions. |
As in borax. |
—
|
— |
| Vitreous Copper |
Cu2S. |
| — |
Evolves SO2 and, when pulverized and gently
heated for some time is converted into CuO. |
Fuses to a bead, which spirts considerably and
gives off SO2. When pulverized and gently
roasted, is converted into CuO. |
— |
The roasted mineral gives the copper reaction,
and sometimes also a slight iron-reaction. |
As in borax. |
In the reducing flame is decomposed, forming NaS
and metallic copper. If the former be cut out
and laid upon silver, it gives the sulfur
reaction. |
— |
| Copper pyrites |
, ,,,
Cu Fe. |
| Decrepitates, sometimes gives a sublimate of
sulphur and becomes bronze colored on the
surface. |
Evolves SO2 and is finally converted into a
dark red mixture of Fe2O3 and CuO.
|
Fuses readily with much ebullition and is
magnetic on cooling. |
— |
As the preceding; but when the copper has been
removed by reducing on charcoal, the bead shows
a strong iron color.
|
As the preceding, but the color in the oxidizing
flame is green, owing to the presence of iron. |
Yields a bead of metallic copper and some
magnetic oxide of iron which remains on the
charcoal. The fused gives a sulphur reaction on
silver. |
— |
| Fahlerz |
, , , , ,,, ,,,
(CuAgFeZn)4 (Sb As). |
Sometimes decrepitates, fuses, and when very
strongly heated, gives a red sublimate of
,,,
Sb
with
...
Sb, also sometimes a black sublimate of
,
Hg
and occasionally
,,,
As. |
Fuses and gives off thick fumes of SbO3 and
SO2, also generally AsO3, leaving a black
infusible residue. If Hg be present, it is
sublimed and condenses in the tube in small
drops. |
Fuses to a bead, which fumes strongly and
incrusts the charcoal with SbO3, and
sometimes ZnO, which cannot be volatilized.
Emits a strong smell of arsenic. |
— |
The residue obtained on charcoal thoroughly
roasted gives a copper reaction, and when the
latter has been removed by reduction upon
charcoal, an iron reaction. |
As in the preceding. |
With this flux and a little borax yields a bead
of metallic copper; on silver, the alkaline mass
gives a sulphur reaction. |
If the copper bead obtained by fusing upon
carbonate of soda be cupelled with assay lead, a
silver bead will be obtained. Or if dissolved in
nitric acid and a drop or two of HCl added, a
white precipitate of AgCl will be formed, which
may be collected and reduced with carbonate of
soda upon charcoal. |
| Tennatite |
, , ,,,
(CuFe)4As. |
Decrepitates occasionally and gives a red
sublimate of
,,,
As. |
Evolves
..
S and
,,,
As, which condense and form a
white sublimate. |
Fuses to a magnetic bead giving of arsenical and
sulphurous fumes. |
— |
As the preceding. |
As the preceding. |
Yields a copper bead and metallic iron in the
form of a dark grey powder. The fused alkali
gives the sulphur reaction. |
— |
| Bournonite |
, , ,,,
(Pb2Cu)Sb. |
Decrepitates giving off sulfur and, when
strongly heated,
,,,
Sb and
...
Sb. |
Evolves thick white fumes of
...
... ..
Sb,Sb
and
...
. ..
PbSb.
Also
.
S. |
Fuses readily and incrusts the charcoal with
...
Sb
and
.
Pb leaving a dark colored bead. |
— |
If the bead obtained on charcoal be fused on
that support in the reducing flame with borax, a
slight iron reaction is obtained, and after a
time a copper reaction. |
As with borax. |
Yields a bead of metallic copper and lead and
incrusts the charcoal with
...
Sb
and
.
Pb.
The alkaline mass laid on silver and moistened
gives the sulphur reaction. |
— |
| Red oxide of copper |
Cu2O |
| — |
Is converted into the black oxide CuO. |
In the reducing flame is reduced, forming a
bead of metallic copper. |
Fuses and colors the the flame emerald
green, or if previously moistened with HCl,
blue. |
Gives the copper reaction. |
As with borax. |
Is reduced to a bead of metallic copper. |
—
|
| Atacamite |
. .
CuCl + 3Cu + 6H. |
| Gives off much water, having an acid
reaction, on test paper, and forms a light
grey sublimate of CuCl. |
— |
Fuses, colors the flame blue, forms a brown
and a pale grey incrustation on the
charcoal, and is reduced to metallic copper,
leaving a small quantity of slag. |
Fuses and colors the outer flame intensely
blue and green towards the point. |
Gives the copper reactions. |
As with borax. |
Is reduced, yielding a bead of metallic
copper. |
—
|
| Dioptase |
. ... .
Cu3Si2 + 3H. |
| Gives off water and turns black. |
— |
In the oxidizing flame becomes black. In the
reducing flame red. |
V.
Colors the outer flame intensely green. |
Gives the copper reactions.
|
As with borax. The silica remains
undissolved.
|
With a small quantity of carbonate of soda
fuses to a bead, which on cooling is opaque
and has a red fracture. With more alkali
forms a slag, containing little beads of
reduced copper.
|
—
|
| Malachite |
. .. .
Cu2C + H. |
| Gives off water and turns black. |
— |
Fuses to a bead with a strong flame is
reduced to metallic copper. |
Fuses and colors the outer flame brilliantly
green. |
Gives the copper reaction. |
As with borax. |
Yields metallic copper.
|
Dissolves in HCl with much effervescence. |
| Blue vitriol |
. ... .
Cu S + 5H. |
| Intumesces, gives off water and becomes
white. |
Strongly heated is decomposed, given off
SO2 and being converted into CuO. |
As in the glass-bulb. Then fuses, coloring
the outer flame green, and is reduced to
metallic copper and
,
Cu. |
Fuses and colors the outer flame blue. |
The roasted mineral gives copper reaction. |
As in borax. |
Yields metallic copper. The alkaline mass
laid on silver gives S reaction. |
Gives the sulphuric acid reaction.
|
| Libethenite |
...
. .. .
Cu4P + 2H. |
| Gives off water and turns black. |
— |
Gradually heated, turns black and fuses to a
bead, having a core of metallic copper. |
Fuses but does not color the flame
distinctly. On cooling is black and
crystalline. |
Gives the copper reaction. |
As in borax. |
With much of the alkali is decomposed,
yielding metallic copper. With small
portions successively added first fuses and
then intumesces, fuses with a strong flame,
and is then absorbed into the charcoal,
leaving metallic copper. |
Gives the phosphoric acid reaction. |
| Olivenite |
... ...
. .. .. .
Cu4( As P ) + H. |
| Gives off water. |
— |
Fuses with detonation and the evolution of
arsenical fumes to a brittle regulus, brown
externally and having a white fracture. |
Fuses and colors the outer flame green. On
cooling has a crystalline surface. |
Gives the copper reaction. |
As in borax. |
Is reduced, yielding metallic copper. |
Gives the arsenic reactions.
|