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The new mineral species birchite, idealized formula Cd 2 Cu 2 (PO 4 ) 2 (SO 4 )·5H 2 O, occurs on specimens from the Block 14 Opencut, Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia, as sprays and aggregates of crystals to 0.75 mm across on a host rock composed of quartz, garnet, galena, chalcopyrite, and fluorapatite. It is a late-stage supergene mineral formed as part of a suite of secondary phosphate minerals under low-temperature conditions. Associated secondary minerals are covellite, cerussite, anglesite, plumbogummite-hinsdalite, pyromorphite, libethenite, and sampleite. Individual crystals are bladed to prismatic and acicular in habit, with a maximum length of 0.3 mm and width of 0.05 mm. The crystals are elongated along [001] and sometimes also flattened on (100). The crystal forms are major {100} and {010}, and minor {101} and {001}. Birchite is orthorhombic, space group Pnma, with unit-cell parameters refined from powder X-ray diffraction data, a = 10.489(6), b = 20.901(7), c = 6.155(5) Å, V = 1349.6(3) Å 3 , and Z = 4. The eight strongest lines in the diffraction pattern are [d(Å)(I)(hkl)]: 10.451(100)(020); 5.146(28)(111); 4.223(38)(131); 3.484(39)(060); 2.902(70)(260); 2.719(33)(132); 2.652(32)(042); 1.919(80)(432). Birchite is translucent (masses) to transparent (crystals); pale blue with a vitreous luster. Optically, birchite is biaxial positive, with n α  = 1.624(4), n β  = 1.636(5), n γ  = 1.669(4), and 2V calc  = +63°. The optical orientation is X = b, Y = a, Z = c; the optical axis plane lies within the {100} plane. Birchite shows very faint pleochroism, X = pale bluish, Z = pale greenish, absorption Z ≥ X. Birchite is brittle, has a conchoidal fracture and is nonfluorescent. Hardness (Mohs) is 3.5-4; the measured density is 3.61(4) g/cm 3 , and the calculated density is 3.647 g/cm 3  (from the empirical formula). Average electron microprobe analysis (wt%): CdO 36.79, CuO 21.22, CaO 0.17, MnO 0.17, ZnO 1.07, P 2 O 5  20.21, SO 3  9.70, H 2 O (from crystal-structure analysis) 12.37, total 101.70. The empirical formula, calculated on the basis of 17 O atoms and with H 2 O calculated to give 5H 2 O is (Cu 1.94 ,Zn 0.10 ) Σ2.04 (Cd 2.09 ,Ca 0.02 ,Mn 0.02 ) Σ2.13 P 2.07 S 0.88 O 12 ·5H 2 O. The crystal structure has been refined to an R index of 4.3% for 846 observed reflections measured with MoKα X-radiation. Alternating [CdO 4 (H 2 O) 2 ] octahedra and [CuO 3 (H 2 O) 2 ] square-pyramids share edges to form chains that extend along the a axis, which are linked by (PO 4 ) tetrahedra to form [CdCu(PO 4 )(H 2 O) 2 O] sheets in the (010) plane. Two such sheets are linked via (PO 4 ) tetrahedra vertices to form a layer in the (010) plane. Two layers, which are related by mirror symmetry, are linked via (SO 4 ) tetrahedra vertices to form a heteropolyhedral framework structure. Interstitial channels within the framework extend along both the a and c axes and are occupied by a H 2 O group. The mineral is named for William D. Birch, Senior Curator of Geosciences at Museum Victoria, Australia.

Birchite, a new mineral from Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia: Description and structure refinement