Humberstonite Mineral Data

Humberstonite Mineral Data +

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General Humberstonite Information

Chemical Formula:

K3Na7Mg2(SO4)6(NO3)2·6(H2O)

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 1,135.32 gm

Potassium 10.33 % K 12.45 % K₂O

Sodium 14.17 % Na 19.11 % Na₂O

Magnesium 4.28 % Mg 7.10 % MgO

Hydrogen 1.07 % H 9.52 % H₂O

Sulfur 16.95 % S 42.31 % SO₃

Nitrogen 2.47 % N 9.51 % N₂O₅

Oxygen 50.73 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

K₃Na₇Mg₂(SO₄)₆(NO₃)₂·6(H₂O)

IMA Status:

Approved IMA 1970

Locality:

Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Synonym:

ICSD 79142

PDF 21-682

Humberstonite Image

Images:

Humberstonite

Comments: White powdery aggregate of humberstonite.
Location: Oficina Alemanin, Antofagasta, Chile. Scale: See Photo.
© Jeff Weissman / Photographic Guide to Mineral Species

Humberstonite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:c = 1:2.23944

Cell Dimensions:

a = 10.9, c = 24.41, Z = 3; V = 2,511.61 Den(Calc)= 2.25

Crystal System:

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

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 3.393(1), 2.724(0.7), 8.137(0.6),

Crystal Structure:

Mouse
drag1 - LMB Manipulate Structure
drag2 - RMB Resize/Rotate
Keyboard
S - Stereo Pair on/off
H - Help Screen
I - Data Info
A - Atoms On/Off
P - Polyhedra On/Off
B - Bonds On/Off
Help on Above

Burns P C , Hawthorne F C , The Canadian Mineralogist , 32 (1994) p.381-385, The crystal structure of humberstonite, a mixed sulfate-nitrate mineral

Physical Properties of Humberstonite

Cleavage:

[0001] Perfect

Color:

Colorless.

Density:

2.252

Diaphaniety:

Transparent

Fracture:

Brittle - Uneven - Very brittle fracture producing uneven fragments.

Hardness:

2.5 - Finger Nail

Luster:

Vitreous (Glassy)

Streak:

white

Optical Properties of Humberstonite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= 0.015 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= 0.014 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.2022,KPDmeas= 0.202,KC= 0.2052

Optical Data:

Uniaxial (-), e=1.436, w=1.474, bire=0.0380.

Calculated Properties of Humberstonite

Electron Density:

r_electron=2.25 gm/cc
note: r_{Humberstonite}=2.25 gm/cc.

Fermion Index

Fermion Index = 0.03039
Boson Index = 0.96961

Photoelectric:

PE_{Humberstonite}= 2.42 barns/electron
U=PE_{Humberstonite} x r_electron= 5.46 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 149.14 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)

Estimated Radioactivity from Humberstonite - barely detectable

Humberstonite Classification

Dana Class:

32.2.2.1 (32)Compound Sulfates

(32.2)(hydrous) with simple bi-anionic formula

(32.2.2)Dana Group

32.2.2.1 Humberstonite K3Na7Mg2(SO4)6(NO3)2·6(H2O) R 3 3

Strunz Class:

VI/D.16-40 VI - Sulfates,Chromates,Molybdates and Tungstates

VI/D - Water-bearing sulfates with unfamiliar anions. cations of medium and very big size

VI/D.16 - Darapskite - Humberstonite series

VI/D.16-10 Darapskite Na3(SO4)(NO3)·(H2O) P 2₁/m 2/m

VI/D.16-20 Ungemachite K3Na8Fe(SO4)6(NO3)2·6(H2O) R 3 3

VI/D.16-30 Clinoungemachite K3Na9Fe(SO4)6(OH)3·9(H2O)? (pseudo-HEX-R) Mono

VI/D.16-40 Humberstonite K3Na7Mg2(SO4)6(NO3)2·6(H2O) R 3 3

VI/D.16-50 Fuenzalidaite K6(Na,K)4Na6Mg10(SO4)12(IO3)12·12(H2O) P 3c1 3 2/m

VI/D.16-60 Carlosruizite K6(Na,K)4Na6Mg10(SeO4)12(IO3)12·12(H2O) P 3c1 3 2/m

VI/D.16-70 Georgeericksenite! Na6CaMg(IO3)6(CrO4)2·12(H2O) C 2/c 2/m

Other Humberstonite 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 Humberstonite :
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 Humberstonite Specimen Label here :

Humberstonite

K3Na7Mg2(SO4)6(NO3)2·6(H2O)
Dana No: 32.2.2.1 Strunz No: VI/D.16-40
Locality:

Notes: