Chrysotile Mineral Data

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General Chrysotile Information

Chemical Formula:

Mg3Si2O5(OH)4

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 277.11 gm

Magnesium 26.31 % Mg 43.63 % MgO

Silicon 20.27 % Si 43.36 % SiO₂

Hydrogen 1.45 % H 13.00 % H₂O

Oxygen 51.96 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Mg₃(Si₂O₅)(OH)₄

Environment:

Clinochrysotile, orthochrysotile, and parachrysotile are now polytypes of chrysotile.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre IMA) 1956 (Dana # Added)

Locality:

Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named in 1834 from the Greek chrysos - "gold" and tilos - "fiber."

Synonym:

Asbestos

Clinochrysotile

Orthochrysotile

Parachrysotile

Chrysotile Image

Images:

Chrysotile

Comments: Polished slab of chrysotile asbestos minerals showing the fibrous, chatoyant crystal patterns.
Location: Globe, Globe-Miami District, Gila Co., Arizona, USA. Scale: 8x7x1 cm.
© John Betts - Fine Minerals

Chrysotile Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =0.5825:1:1.6049

Cell Dimensions:

a = 5.313, b = 9.12, c = 14.637, Z = 4; beta = 93.167° V = 708.15 Den(Calc)= 2.60

Crystal System:

Monoclinic - PrismaticH-M Symbol (2/m) Space Group: A2/m

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 7.32(1), 3.65(0.7), 4.57(0.5),

Physical Properties of Chrysotile

Color:

Green.

Density:

2.53

Diaphaneity:

Translucent

Habit:

Acicular - Occurs as needle-like crystals.

Hardness:

2.5 - Finger Nail

Luster:

Silky

Streak:

white

Optical Properties of Chrysotile

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= -0.015 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= 0.012 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.219,KPDmeas= 0.2251,KC= 0.2217
Ncalc = 1.56 - 1.58

Optical Data:

Biaxial (?), a=1.569, g=1.57, bire=0.0010

Calculated Properties of Chrysotile

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=2.63 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Chrysotile =2.60 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.03
Boson Index = 0.97

Photoelectric:

PE_Chrysotile= 1.39 barns/electron
U=PE_Chrysotile x rElectron Density= 3.65 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Chrysotile is Not Radioactive

Chrysotile Classification

Dana Class:

71.01.02d.00 (71)Phyllosilicate Sheets of Six-Membered Rings

(71.01)with 1:1 layers

(71.01.02d)Serpentine group (Chrysotile subgroup)

71.01.02d.00 Chrysotile! Mg3Si2O5(OH)4 A2/m 2/m

71.01.02d.01 Clinochrysotile? Mg3Si2O5(OH)4 Cc, C 2/m Mono

71.01.02d.02 Orthochrysotile? Mg3Si2O5(OH)4 Unk Ortho

71.01.02d.03 Parachrysotile? Mg3Si2O5(OH)4 Unk Ortho

71.01.02d.04 Pecoraite Ni3Si2O5(OH)4 C 2/m 2/m

Strunz Class:

09.ED.15 09 - SILICATES (Germanates)

09.E - Phyllosilicates

09.ED -Phyllosilicates with kaolinite layers

09.ED.15 Clinochrysotile? Mg3Si2O5(OH)4 Cc, C 2/m Mono

09.ED.15 Berthierine (Fe,Fe,Al,Mg)2-3(Si,Al)2O5(OH)4 Cm m

09.ED.15 Brindleyite (Ni,Mg,Fe)2Al(SiAl)O5(OH)4 C 2 2

09.ED.15 Amesite Mg2Al(SiAl)O5(OH)4 C1 1

09.ED.15 Antigorite (Mg,Fe)3Si2O5(OH)4 Cm m

09.ED.15 Caryopilite (Mn,Mg,Zn,Fe)3(Si,As)2O510(OH,Cl)4 Cm or C 2/m Mono

09.ED.15 Fraipontite (Zn,Al)3(Si,Al)2O5(OH)4 Cm m

09.ED.15 Cronstedtite Fe2Fe(SiFe)O5(OH)4 P 3₁m 3m

09.ED.15 Chrysotile Mg3Si2O5(OH)4 A2/m 2/m

09.ED.15 Nepouite Ni3Si2O5(OH)4 Ccm21 mm2

09.ED.15 Greenalite (Fe,Fe)2-3Si2O5(OH)4 Unk Mono

09.ED.15 Kellyite (Mn,Mg,Al)3(Si,Al)2O5(OH)4 P 6₃ 6

09.ED.15 Maufite? (Mg,Ni)Al4Si3O13•4(H2O)(?) Mono ? Mono

09.ED.15 Lizardite Mg3Si2O5(OH)4 P1 1

09.ED.15 Orthochrysotile? Mg3Si2O5(OH)4 Unk Ortho

09.ED.15 Manandonite Li2Al4[(Si2AlB)O10](OH)8 C1 1

09.ED.15 Pecoraite Ni3Si2O5(OH)4 C 2/m 2/m

09.ED.15 Parachrysotile? Mg3Si2O5(OH)4 Unk Ortho

Other Chrysotile Information

References:

NAME( Dana8) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Chrysotile :
1 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
2 - Amethyst Galleries' Mineral Gallery
3 - Athena
4 - GeoScienceWorld
5 - Google Images
6 - Google Scholar
7 - HyperPhysics
8 - MinDAT
9 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
10 - Online Mineral Museum
11 - QUT Mineral Atlas
12 - Ruff.Info

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

Chrysotile

Mg3Si2O5(OH)4
Dana No: 71.01.02d.00 Strunz No: 09.ED.15
Locality:

Notes: