Gaidonnayite Mineral Data

Gaidonnayite Mineral Data +

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General Gaidonnayite Information

Chemical Formula:

Na2ZrSi3O9·2(H2O)

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 401.49 gm

Sodium 11.45 % Na 15.44 % Na₂O

Zirconium 22.72 % Zr 30.69 % ZrO₂

Silicon 20.99 % Si 44.90 % SiO₂

Hydrogen 1.00 % H 8.97 % H₂O

Oxygen 43.84 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Na₂ZrSi₃O₉·2(H₂O)

Environment:

Altered pegmatites and miarolitic cavites in nepheline syenite.

IMA Status:

Approved IMA 1974

Locality:

Mt St. Hilaire, Quebec, Canada. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named for Gabrielle Hamburger Donnay (1920-1987), crystallographer and mineralogist, McGill University.

Synonym:

ICSD 201846

IMA1973-003

PDF 26-1387

Gaidonnayite Image

Images:

Gaidonnayite

Comments: Translucent tan spherical gaidonnayite crystal aggregates.
Location: Mont Saint Hilaire, Rouville County, Quebec, Canada. Scale: See Photo.
© Jeff Weissman / Photographic Guide to Mineral Species

Gaidonnayite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =0.9157:1:0.5219

Cell Dimensions:

a = 11.74, b = 12.82, c = 6.691, Z = 4; V = 1,007.04 Den(Calc)= 2.65

Crystal System:

Orthorhombic - PyramidalH-M Symbol (mm2) Space Group: P 2₁nb

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 3.124(1), 5.84(0.8), 5.93(0.8),

Crystal Structure:

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Chao G Y , The Canadian Mineralogist , 23 (1985) p.11-15, The crystal structure of gaidonnayite Na2ZrSi3O9.2H2O

Physical Properties of Gaidonnayite

Cleavage:

None

Color:

Colorless, White, Light lilac.

Density:

2.67

Diaphaniety:

Transparent

Fracture:

Brittle - Conchoidal - Very brittle fracture producing small, conchoidal fragments.

Hardness:

5 - Apatite

Luminescence:

Fluorescent, Short UV=bright green, Long UV=bright green.

Streak:

white

Optical Properties of Gaidonnayite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= -0.01 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= -0.018 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.2219,KPDmeas= 0.2202,KC= 0.218

Optical Data:

Biaxial (+), a=1.573, b=1.592, g=1.599, bire=0.0260

Pleochroism (x):

colorless.

Pleochroism (y):

colorless.

Pleochroism (z):

colorless.

Calculated Properties of Gaidonnayite

Electron Density:

r_electron=2.61 gm/cc
note: r_Gaidonnayite=2.67 gm/cc.

Fermion Index

Fermion Index = 0.0355
Boson Index = 0.9645

Photoelectric:

PE_Gaidonnayite= 30.94 barns/electron
U=PE_Gaidonnayite x r_electron= 80.65 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)

Gaidonnayite is Not Radioactive

Gaidonnayite Classification

Dana Class:

59.2.2.3 (59)Cyclosilicate Three-Membered Rings

(59.2)hydrated

(59.2.2)Catapleiite group

59.2.2.1 Catapleiite (Na,Ca,[])2ZrSi3O9·2(H2O) B2/b (pseudo-HEX) 2/m

59.2.2.2 Calcium-catapleiite (Ca,[])ZrSi3O9·2(H2O) Pbnn 2/m 2/m 2/m

59.2.2.3 Gaidonnayite Na2ZrSi3O9·2(H2O) P 2₁nb mm2

59.2.2.4 Georgechaoite KNaZrSi3O9·2(H2O) P 2₁nb mm2

59.2.2.5 Loudounite NaCa5Zr4Si16O40(OH)11·8(H2O) Mono

59.2.2.6 Bobtraillite! Na15Sr12Zr14Si42B6O138(OH)6·12(H2O) P 6₃cm 6mm

Strunz Class:

VIII/E.04-30 VIII - Silicates

VIII/E - Cyklosilicates, triplet rings [Si3O9]6-

VIII/E.04 - Catapleiite - Komkovite series

VIII/E.04-10 Catapleiite (Na,Ca,[])2ZrSi3O9·2(H2O) B2/b (pseudo-HEX) 2/m

VIII/E.04-30 Gaidonnayite Na2ZrSi3O9·2(H2O) P 2₁nb mm2

VIII/E.04-40 Georgechaoite KNaZrSi3O9·2(H2O) P 2₁nb mm2

VIII/E.04-50 Komkovite BaZrSi3O9·3(H2O) R 32 3 2

Other Gaidonnayite Information

References:

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

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

Gaidonnayite

Na2ZrSi3O9·2(H2O)
Dana No: 59.2.2.3 Strunz No: VIII/E.04-30
Locality:

Notes: