Mellite Mineral Data

Mellite Mineral Data +

General Mellite Information

Chemical Formula:

Al2[C6(COO)6]·16(H2O)

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 534.47 gm

Aluminum 10.10 % Al 19.08 % Al₂O₃

Hydrogen 9.05 % H 80.90 % H₂O

Carbon 26.97 % C

Oxygen 53.88 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 99.97 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Al₂C₁₂H₁₂·18(H₂O)

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1793

Locality:

Arten, Thüringen, Germany Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

From the Latin mel - "honey."

Synonym:

ICSD 41122

PDF 42-1501

Mellite Image

Images:

Mellite

Comments: Specimen of crystalline mellite. Mellite is a naturally occurring organic mineral species.
Location: Csordakhut, Tatabanya, Hungary. Scale: 4 x 3 cm.
© John Veevaert

Mellite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:c = 1:1.05887

Cell Dimensions:

a = 21.91, c = 23.2, Z = 16; V = 11,137.12 Den(Calc)= 1.27

Crystal System:

Tetragonal - TrapezohedralH-M Symbol (4 2 2) Space Group: P 4₁22,P 4₃22

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 7.99(1), 4.23(0.7), 5.8(0.55),

Physical Properties of Mellite

Cleavage:

[011] Imperfect

Color:

Brown, Brownish white, Colorless, Yellow, Golden brown.

Density:

1.55 - 1.65, Average = 1.6

Diaphaniety:

Transparent to Translucent

Fracture:

Conchoidal - Fractures developed in brittle materials characterized by smoothly curving surfaces, (e.g. quartz).

Habit:

Crystalline - Coarse - Occurs as well-formed coarse sized crystals.

Habit:

Massive - Granular - Common texture observed in granite and other igneous rock.

Hardness:

2-2.5 - Gypsum-Finger Nail

Luminescence:

None.

Luster:

Vitreous (Glassy)

Streak:

white

Optical Properties of Mellite

Dichroism (e):

none.

Dichroism (w):

none.

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= -0.043 (Good) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= -0.314 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.4134,KPDmeas= 0.3281,KC= 0.3145

Optical Data:

Uniaxial (-), e=1.511, w=1.539, bire=0.0280.

Calculated Properties of Mellite

Electron Density:

r_electron=1.74 gm/cc
note: r_Mellite=1.60 gm/cc.

Fermion Index

Fermion Index = 0.00323
Boson Index = 0.99677

Photoelectric:

PE_Mellite= 0.49 barns/electron
U=PE_Mellite x r_electron= 0.85 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)

Mellite is Not Radioactive

Mellite Classification

Dana Class:

50.2.1.1 (50)Salts of Organic Acids

(50.2)(Mellitates, Citrates, Cyanates, and Acetates)

(50.2.1)Dana Group

50.2.1.1 Mellite Al2[C6(COO)6]·16(H2O) P 4₁22,P 4₃22 4 2 2

Strunz Class:

IX/A.02-10 IX - Organic compunds

IX/A - Salts from organic acids. Other organic salts, a.o. mellates and citrates.

IX/A.02 - Mellite - Abelsonite (?) series

IX/A.02-03 Dashkovaite! Mg(HCOO)2·2(H2O) P 2₁/c 2/m

IX/A.02-05 Formicaite! Ca(HCOO)2 P 4₁2₁2 4 2 2

IX/A.02-10 Mellite Al2[C6(COO)6]·16(H2O) P 4₁22,P 4₃22 4 2 2

IX/A.02-16 Hoganite! Cu(CH3COO)2·H2O C 2/c 2/m

IX/A.02-18 Paceite! CaCu(CH3COO)4·6(H2O) I 4/m 4/m

IX/A.02-20 Calclacite Ca[Cl2/CH3COO]·10(H2O) P 2₁/a 2/m

IX/A.02-30 Earlandite Ca3(C6H5O7)·4(H2O) Unk Mono

IX/A.02-40 Kafehydrocyanite* K4Fe(CN)6·3(H2O) I 4₁/a 4/m

IX/A.02-50 Julienite* Na2Co(SCN)4·8(H2O) P 4₁/n 4/m

IX/A.02-60 Abelsonite NiC31H32N4 P1 or P1 Tri

Other Mellite Information

References:

NAME( Duda&Rejl90) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(Ford32)

See Also:

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

Search for Mellite using:

[ALTAVISTA] [AOL] [All-The-Web] [HotBot] [Ixquick] [MAMMA] [MSN.COM] [Netscape] [Scirus] [Teoma] [Wikipedia] [YAHOO]

Visit our Advertisers for Mellite :

AA Mineral Specimens

B & L Fine Minerals

Dan Weinrich Fine Minerals

Dan Weinrich Auctions

John Betts Fine Minerals

Mason's Minerals

Mineral News

Mineral of the Month Club

MineralsWeb Fine Minerals

The GeoZone

Wrights Rock Shop

Translate Mellite Mineral Data :

Ask about Mellite here :
Ask-A-Mineralogist from the Mineralogical Society of America
Mindat.org's Discussion Groups
Original Rockhounds Discussion Group
Rockhounds Discussion Group on Yahoo Groups
Mineral Discussion Forum from Fabre Minerals - also available in Español

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

Mellite

Al2[C6(COO)6]·16(H2O)
Dana No: 50.2.1.1 Strunz No: IX/A.02-10
Locality:

Notes: