Langbeinite Mineral Data

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General Langbeinite Information

Chemical Formula:

K2Mg2(SO4)3

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 415.00 gm

Potassium 18.84 % K 22.70 % K₂O

Magnesium 11.71 % Mg 19.42 % MgO

Sulfur 23.18 % S 57.88 % SO₃

Oxygen 46.26 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

K₂Mg₂(SO₄)₃

Environment:

Principal ore of potash, mined from marine salt deposits.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1891

Locality:

Wilhelmshall, near Halberstadt; at Solvayhall, near Bernberg; from Hattord, Hesse, Germany. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named for A. Langbein, of Leopoldshall [Stassfurt], Germany.

Name Pronunciation:

Langbeinite + Pronunciation

Synonym:

ICSD 100420

PDF 19-975

Langbeinite Image

Images:

Langbeinite

Comments: Pale brownish pink crystalline aggregate of langbeinite.
Location: Carlsbad, Eddy County, New Mexico, USA. Scale: See Photo.
© Jeff Weissman / Photographic Guide to Mineral Species

Langbeinite Crystallography

Cell Dimensions:

a = 9.9211, Z = 4; V = 976.52 Den(Calc)= 2.82

Crystal System:

Isometric - TetartoidalH-M Symbol (2 3) Space Group: P 2₁3

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 3.14(1), 2.65(0.35), 4.05(0.25),

Forms:

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Forms: ( 1 0 2) ( 1 1 1) ( 1 1 1) ( 1 1 2) ( 0 0 1)

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Crystal Structure:

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Speer D , Salje E , Physics and Chemistry of Minerals , 13 (1986) p.17-24, Phase transitions in langbeinites I: Crystal chemistry, and structures of K-double sulfates of the langbeinite, type M2++K2(SO4)3, M++=Mg,Ni,Co,Zn,Ca, Sample: K2Ca2(SO4)3, T = 260 C

View Additional jPOWD Structure files for Langbeinite
[1] [2] [3] [4] [5]

Physical Properties of Langbeinite

Cleavage:

None

Color:

Colorless, Violet, Greenish, Gray, Yellowish.

Density:

2.83

Diaphaneity:

Transparent to Translucent

Fracture:

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

Hardness:

3.5-4 - Copper Penny-Fluorite

Luminescence:

Phosphorescent.

Luster:

Vitreous (Glassy)

Streak:

white

Optical Properties of Langbeinite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= -0.019 (Excellent) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= -0.023 (Excellent) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.1901,KPDmeas= 0.1894,KC= 0.1858
Ncalc = 1.52 - 1.53

Optical Data:

Isotropic, n=1.536.

Calculated Properties of Langbeinite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=2.81 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Langbeinite =2.83 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.01
Boson Index = 0.99

Photoelectric:

PE_Langbeinite= 3.54 barns/electron
U=PE_Langbeinite x r_electron= 9.95 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 269.89 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Concentration of Langbeinite per GRapi unit = 0.37 (%)

Estimated Radioactivity from Langbeinite - barely detectable

Langbeinite Classification

Dana Class:

28.04.04.01 (28)Anhydrous Acid and Sulfates

(28.04)with miscellaneous formulae

(28.04.04)Langbeinite Series

28.04.04.01 Langbeinite K2Mg2(SO4)3 P 2₁3 2 3

28.04.04.02 Manganolangbeinite K2Mn2(SO4)3 P 2₁3 2 3

28.04.04.03 Efremovite (NH4)2Mg2(SO4)3 P 2₁3 2 3

Strunz Class:

07.AC.10 07 - SULFATES (SELENATES, TELLURATES)

07.A - Sulfates (selenates, etc.) without Additional Anions, without H2O

07.AC -With medium-sized and large cations

07.AC.10 Efremovite (NH4)2Mg2(SO4)3 P 2₁3 2 3

07.AC.10 Manganolangbeinite K2Mn2(SO4)3 P 2₁3 2 3

07.AC.10 Langbeinite K2Mg2(SO4)3 P 2₁3 2 3

Other Langbeinite Information

References:

NAME( AntBidBlaNic5) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990)

See Also:

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

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

Langbeinite

K2Mg2(SO4)3
Dana No: 28.04.04.01 Strunz No: 07.AC.10
Locality:

Notes: