Elpasolite Mineral Data

Elpasolite Mineral Data +

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General Elpasolite Information

Chemical Formula:

K2NaAlF6

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 242.16 gm

Potassium 32.29 % K 38.90 % K₂O

Sodium 9.49 % Na 12.80 % Na₂O

Aluminum 11.14 % Al 21.05 % Al₂O₃

Fluorine 47.07 % F 47.07 % F

- % F -19.82 % -O=F₂

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

K₂NaAlF₆

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1883

Locality:

St Peters Dome, El Paso County, Colorado, USA Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named for the locality

Synonym:

ICSD 6027

PDF 22-1235

Elpasolite Image

Images:

Elpasolite

Comments: Colorless crystal of elpasolite in matrix.
Location: Cetine di Cotorniano mine (Cetine mine), Rosia, Siena, Tuscany, Italy. Scale: Picture size 2.5 mm.
© Thomas Witzke / Abraxas-Verlag

Elpasolite Crystallography

Cell Dimensions:

a = 8.122, Z = 4; V = 535.78 Den(Calc)= 3.00

Crystal System:

Isometric - HexoctahedralH-M Symbol (4/m 3 2/m) Space Group: F m3m

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 2.868(1), 2.03(0.9), 2.345(0.75),

Crystal Structure:

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Sabelli C , Neues Jahrbuch fur Mineralogie, Monatshefte , 1987 (1987) p.481-487, Structure refinement of elpasolite from Cetine mine, Tuscany, Italy, Locality: Cetine mine, Tuscany, Italy

Physical Properties of Elpasolite

Cleavage:

None

Color:

Colorless.

Density:

2.995

Diaphaniety:

Transparent

Fracture:

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

Hardness:

2.5 - Finger Nail

Luster:

Vitreous - Greasy

Streak:

white

Optical Properties of Elpasolite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= 0.245 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= 0.246 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.1253,KPDmeas= 0.1255,KC= 0.1663

Optical Data:

Isotropic, n=1.376.

Calculated Properties of Elpasolite

Electron Density:

r_electron=2.87 gm/cc
note: r_Elpasolite=3.00 gm/cc.

Fermion Index

Fermion Index = 0.00003
Boson Index = 0.99997

Photoelectric:

PE_Elpasolite= 4.02 barns/electron
U=PE_Elpasolite x r_electron= 11.55 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 446.36 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)

Estimated Radioactivity from Elpasolite - barely detectable

Elpasolite Classification

Dana Class:

11.6.2.1 (11)Halide Complexes; Alumino-fluorides

(11.6)with miscellaneous formulae

(11.6.2)Dana Group

11.6.2.1 Elpasolite K2NaAlF6 F m3m 4/m 3 2/m

Strunz Class:

III/B.03-40 III - Halogenides

III/B - Double halogenides without water, with [BF4]1-,[SiF6]2- and [AlF6]3-

III/B.03 - Kryolithionite - Calcjarlite series

III/B.03-10 Cryolithionite Na3Li3Al2F12 I a3d 4/m 3 2/m

III/B.03-20 Colquiriite CaLiAlF6 P 3c 3 2/m

III/B.03-25 Simmonsite! Na2LiAlF6 P 2₁/n 2/m

III/B.03-30 Cryolite Na3AlF6 P 2₁/n 2/m

III/B.03-40 Elpasolite K2NaAlF6 F m3m 4/m 3 2/m

III/B.03-45 Bogvadite Na2SrBa2Al4F20 Pnmn,Pn2n Ortho

III/B.03-48 Jorgensenite! Na2(Sr,Ba)14Na2Al12F64(OH,F) C 2/m 2/m

III/B.03-50 Jarlite Na(Sr,Na,[])7(Mg,[])Al6F32(OH,H2O)2 C 2/m 2/m

III/B.03-60 Calcjarlite Na(Ca,Sr)3Al3(F,OH)16 C 2/m 2/m

Other Elpasolite 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 Elpasolite :
1 -Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database 2 -Athena 3 - EUROmin Project 4 -Google Images 5 -Google Scholar 6 -Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA) 7 -MinDAT 8 -MinMax(Deutsch) 9 -MinMax(English) 10 -Mineralienatlas (Deutsch) 11 -QUT Mineral Atlas 12 - WWW-MINCRYST 13 -École des Mines de Paris

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

Elpasolite

K2NaAlF6
Dana No: 11.6.2.1 Strunz No: III/B.03-40
Locality:

Notes: