Albite Mineral Data

Albite Mineral Data +

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General Albite Information

Chemical Formula:

NaAlSi3O8

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 263.02 gm

Sodium 8.30 % Na 11.19 % Na₂O

Calcium 0.76 % Ca 1.07 % CaO

Aluminum 10.77 % Al 20.35 % Al₂O₃

Silicon 31.50 % Si 67.39 % SiO₂

Oxygen 48.66 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Na_0.95Ca_0.05Al_1.05Si_2.95O₈

Environment:

Magmatic and pegmatitic rocks.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1815

Locality:

USA, VA, Amelia. Bourg d'Oisans and Isere, France. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

From the Latin, albus, in allusion to the common color.

Synonym:

Ab100

An0

Clevelandite

Albite Image

Images:

Albite Plagioclase

Comments: Colorless, lustrous blocky albite crystals to 3 cm in size with a thick dusting of micaceous green micro chlorite.
Location: Acushnet Quarry, Bristol Co., Massachussetts, USA. Scale: 17 x 15 x 7.5 cm matrix.
© Dan Weinrich

Images:

Albite Plagioclase

Comments: Crystal group of bladed albite (variety cleavelandite) crystals.
Location: Taquaral, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Scale: 7.4 x 5 cm.
© John Veevaert

Images:

Albite Schorl

Comments: Several jet-black lustrous crystals of schorl perched on a white albite matrix.
Location: Shengus, Gilgit, Pakistan. Scale: 4 x 3 x 2 cm.
© Isaias Casanova / IC Minerals

Albite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =0.6368:1:0.5599

Cell Dimensions:

a = 8.144, b = 12.787, c = 7.16, Z = 4; alpha = 94.266°, beta = 116.583°, gamma = 87.667° V = 664.40 Den(Calc)= 2.63

Crystal System:

Triclinic - PinacoidalH-M Symbol ( 1) Space Group: C1

$Help on X Ray Diffraction:$ X Ray Diffraction:

By Intensity(I/I_o): 3.176(1), 3.211(0.3), 3.752(0.3),

Forms:

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Forms: [ 0 0 1] [ 1 0 0] [ 1 0 1] [ 0 1 0]

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Crystal Structure:

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Prewitt C T , Sueno S , Papike J J , American Mineralogist , 61 (1976) p.1213-1225, The crystal structures of high albite and monalbite at high temperatures, T = 24 deg C, feldspar

View Additional jPOWD Structure files for Albite
[1] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [19] [2] [20] [21] [22] [23] [24] [25] [26] [27] [28] [29] [3] [30] [31] [32] [33] [34] [35] [36] [37] [38] [39] [4] [40] [41] [42] [43] [44] [45] [46] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9]

Physical Properties of Albite

Cleavage:

[001] Perfect, [010] Good

Color:

White, Gray, Greenish gray, Bluish green, Gray.

Density:

2.61 - 2.63, Average = 2.62

Diaphaniety:

Transparent to translucent to subtranslucent

Fracture:

Uneven - Flat surfaces (not cleavage) fractured in an uneven pattern.

Habit:

Blocky - Crystal shape tends to be equant (e.g. feldspars).

Habit:

Granular - Generally occurs as anhedral to subhedral crystals in matrix.

Habit:

Striated - Parallel lines on crystal surface or cleavage face.

Hardness:

7 - Quartz

Luminescence:

None.

Luster:

Vitreous (Glassy)

Streak:

white

Optical Properties of Albite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= 0.008 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= 0.012 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.2034,KPDmeas= 0.2042,KC= 0.2058

Optical Data:

Biaxial (+), a=1.528-1.533, b=1.5317-1.53685, g=1.538-1.542, bire=0.0090-0.0100, 2V(Calc)=76-82, 2V(Meas)=45. Dispersion relatively weak.

Pleochroism (x):

colorless.

Pleochroism (y):

colorless.

Pleochroism (z):

colorless.

Calculated Properties of Albite

Electron Density:

r_electron=2.60 gm/cc
note: r_Albite=2.62 gm/cc.

Fermion Index

Fermion Index = 0.01495
Boson Index = 0.98505

Photoelectric:

PE_Albite= 1.75 barns/electron
U=PE_Albite x r_electron= 4.55 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)

Albite is Not Radioactive

Albite Classification

Dana Class:

76.1.3.1 (76)Tectosilicate Al-Si Framework

(76.1)with Al-Si frameworks

(76.1.3)Plagioclase series

76.1.3.0 Plagioclase* (Na,Ca)(Si,Al)4O8 C1 1

76.1.3.1 Albite NaAlSi3O8 C1 1

76.1.3.2 Oligoclase (Na,Ca)(Si,Al)4O8 C1 1

76.1.3.3 Andesine* (Na,Ca)(Si,Al)4O8 C1 1

76.1.3.4 Labradorite* (Ca,Na)(Si,Al)4O8 C1 1

76.1.3.5 Bytownite* (Ca,Na)(Si,Al)4O8 C1 1

76.1.3.6 Anorthite CaAl2Si2O8 P1,I1 1

Strunz Class:

VIII/J.07-20 VIII - Silicates

VIII/J - Tectosilicates (network) without anions unfamiliar to the tetraheders

VIII/J.07 - Feldspar group, Anorthoclase - Anorthite - Banalcite series

VIII/J.07-10 Anorthoclase (Na,K)AlSi3O8 C1 1

VIII/J.07-20 Albite NaAlSi3O8 C1 1

VIII/J.07-30 Oligoclase (Na,Ca)(Si,Al)4O8 C1 1

VIII/J.07-40 Andesine* (Na,Ca)(Si,Al)4O8 C1 1

VIII/J.07-50 Labradorite* (Ca,Na)(Si,Al)4O8 C1 1

VIII/J.07-60 Bytownite* (Ca,Na)(Si,Al)4O8 C1 1

VIII/J.07-70 Anorthite CaAl2Si2O8 P1,I1 1

VIII/J.07-75 Dmisteinbergite CaAl2Si2O8 P 6/mmm 6/m 2/m 2/m

VIII/J.07-80 Svyatoslavite CaAl2Si2O8 P 2₁ 2

VIII/J.07-90 Stronalsite SrNa2Al4Si4O16 I bam,Iba2 Ortho

VIII/J.07-100 Banalsite BaNa2Al4Si4O16 I bam 2/m 2/m 2/m

VIII/J.07-110 Filatovite! K[(Al,Zn)2(As,Si)2O8] I2/c 2/m

Other Albite Information

References:

NAME( Sinkankas66) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(Heinrich65)

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Print or Cut-and-Paste your Albite Specimen Label here :

Albite

NaAlSi3O8
Dana No: 76.1.3.1 Strunz No: VIII/J.07-20
Locality:

Notes: