Benstonite Mineral Data

Benstonite Mineral Data +

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General Benstonite Information

Chemical Formula:

(Ba,Sr)6(Ca,Mn)6Mg(CO3)13

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 1,816.58 gm

Barium 34.02 % Ba 37.98 % BaO

Strontium 7.24 % Sr 8.56 % SrO

Calcium 9.93 % Ca 13.89 % CaO

Magnesium 1.34 % Mg 2.22 % MgO

Manganese 4.54 % Mn 5.86 % MnO

Carbon 8.60 % C 31.49 % CO₂

Oxygen 34.35 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Ba_4.5Sr_1.5Ca_4.5Mn²⁺_1.5Mg(CO₃)₁₃

IMA Status:

Approved IMA 1961

Locality:

Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Synonym:

ICSD 100479

PDF 14-637

Benstonite Image

Images:

Benstonite

Comments: Light pink benstonite crystals epitaxially formed on calcite needles.
Location: Minerva #1 Mine, Hardin County, Illinois, USA. Scale: 13 x 11 mm.
© John Veevaert

Benstonite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:c = 1:0.47428

Cell Dimensions:

a = 18.28, c = 8.67, Z = 3; V = 2,509.01 Den(Calc)= 3.61

Crystal System:

Trigonal - PyramidalH-M Symbol (3) Space Group: R 3

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 3.08(1), 3.92(0.4), 2.536(0.3),

Crystal Structure:

Mouse
drag1 - LMB Manipulate Structure
drag2 - RMB Resize/Rotate
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S - Stereo Pair on/off
H - Help Screen
I - Data Info
A - Atoms On/Off
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Effenberger H , Neues Jahrbuch fur Mineralogie, Abhandlungen , 136 (1979) p.326-337, Kristallstruktur und chemische formel des benstonits, Ba6Ca6Mg(CO3)13

Physical Properties of Benstonite

Cleavage:

[???] Good

Color:

Snow white, Yellow brown, White, Light yellow.

Density:

3.596 - 3.66, Average = 3.62

Diaphaniety:

Translucent

Hardness:

3-4 - Calcite-Fluorite

Luminescence:

Phosphorescent fluorescent.

Luster:

Vitreous (Glassy)

Streak:

white

Optical Properties of Benstonite

Dichroism (e):

colorless.

Dichroism (w):

colorless.

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= 0.028 (Excellent) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= 0.024 (Excellent) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.1686,KPDmeas= 0.1677,KC= 0.1726

Optical Data:

Uniaxial (-), e=1.527, w=1.69, bire=0.1630.

Calculated Properties of Benstonite

Electron Density:

r_electron=3.33 gm/cc
note: r_Benstonite=3.61 gm/cc.

Fermion Index

Fermion Index = 0.06827
Boson Index = 0.93173

Photoelectric:

PE_Benstonite= 158.66 barns/electron
U=PE_Benstonite x r_electron= 528.74 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)

Benstonite is Not Radioactive

Benstonite Classification

Dana Class:

14.2.3.1 (14)Anhydrous Carbonates

(14.2)with Compound Formula A+ B++ (CO3)2

(14.2.3)Dana Group

14.2.3.1 Benstonite (Ba,Sr)6(Ca,Mn)6Mg(CO3)13 R 3 3

Strunz Class:

V/B.03-80 V - Nitrates, Carbonates and Borates

V/B - Waterfree carbonates [CO3]2- without unfamiliar anions

V/B.03 - Dolomite group

V/B.03-10 Dolomite CaMg(CO3)2 R 3 3

V/B.03-20 Ankerite Ca(Fe,Mg,Mn)(CO3)2 R 3 3

V/B.03-30 Kutnohorite Ca(Mn,Mg,Fe)(CO3)2 R 3 3

V/B.03-40 Minrecordite CaZn(CO3)2 R 3 3

V/B.03-50 Norsethite BaMg(CO3)2 R 32 3 2

V/B.03-70 Huntite CaMg3(CO3)4 R 32 3 2

V/B.03-80 Benstonite (Ba,Sr)6(Ca,Mn)6Mg(CO3)13 R 3 3

Other Benstonite Information

References:

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

See Also:

Links to other databases for Benstonite :
1 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
2 - Athena
3 - EUROmin Project
4 - Ecole des Mines de Paris
5 - Google Images
6 - Google Scholar
7 - Handbook of Mineralogy (MinSocAm)
8 - Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA)
9 - MinDAT
10 - MinMax(Deutsch)
11 - MinMax(English)
12 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
13 - QUT Mineral Atlas
14 - Ruff.Info
15 - WWW-MINCRYST

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

Benstonite

(Ba,Sr)6(Ca,Mn)6Mg(CO3)13
Dana No: 14.2.3.1 Strunz No: V/B.03-80
Locality:

Notes: