Merlinoite Mineral Data

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General Merlinoite Information

Chemical Formula:

(K,Ca,Na,Ba)7Si23Al9O64•23(H2O)

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 2,625.60 gm

Potassium 6.25 % K 7.53 % K₂O

Barium 2.09 % Ba 2.34 % BaO

Sodium 0.53 % Na 0.71 % Na₂O

Calcium 2.29 % Ca 3.20 % CaO

Aluminum 9.56 % Al 18.06 % Al₂O₃

Iron 0.43 % Fe 0.55 % FeO

Silicon 24.28 % Si 51.95 % SiO₂

Hydrogen 1.74 % H 15.58 % H₂O

Oxygen 52.83 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 99.91 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

K_4.2Ca_1.5Na_0.6Ba_0.4Fe²⁺_0.2Si_22.7Al_9.3O₆₄·22.7(H₂O)

Environment:

A secondary mineral in veins and cavities of silica-undersaturated volcanic rocks and manganese nodules in the Indian Ocean.

IMA Status:

Approved IMA 1977

Locality:

In the Cupaello quarry, near Santa Rufina, and at Valle Beachella, Sacrofano, near Rome, Lazio,, Italy. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named for Stefano Merlino (1938-), Professor of Crystallography, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.

Name Pronunciation:

Merlinoite + Pronunciation

Synonym:

ICSD 86741

PDF 29-989

Merlinoite Image

Images:

Merlinoite

Comments: Colorless transparent prismatic merlinoite microcrystals in vug.
Location: Lagno Ahendo Lare, Vesuvius, Naples, Campania, Italy. Scale: See Photo.
© Jeff Weissman / Photographic Guide to Mineral Species

Merlinoite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =0.992:1:0.6989

Cell Dimensions:

a = 14.116, b = 14.229, c = 9.946, Z = 1; V = 1,997.72 Den(Calc)= 2.18

Crystal System:

Orthorhombic - DipyramidalH-M Symbol (2/m 2/m 2/m) Space Group: I mmm

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 3.18(1), 7.08(0.9), 7.12(0.9),

Crystal Structure:

Mouse
drag1 - LMB Manipulate Structure
drag2 - RMB Resize/Rotate
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S - Stereo Pair on/off
H - Help Screen
I - Data Info
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Galli E , Gottardi G , Pongiluppi D , Neues Jahrbuch fur Mineralogie, Monatshefte , 1979 (1979) p.1-9, The crystal structure of the zeolite merlinoite, Locality: in a vug of a lava from Cupaello, Rieti, Italy

Physical Properties of Merlinoite

Cleavage:

{???} Good

Color:

Colorless, White.

Density:

2.14 - 2.27, Average = 2.2

Diaphaneity:

Transparent to Translucent

Habit:

Fibrous - Crystals made up of fibers.

Habit:

Radial - Crystals radiate from a center without producing stellar forms (e.g. stibnite)

Habit:

Spherical - Spherical, rounded aggregates.

Hardness:

4.5 - Between Fluorite and Apatite

Luster:

Vitreous (Glassy)

Streak:

white

Optical Properties of Merlinoite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= -0.007 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= -0.018 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.2294,KPDmeas= 0.2268,KC= 0.2252
Ncalc = 1.48 - 1.51

Optical Data:

Biaxial (-), a=1.499, b=1.5, g=1.501, bire=0.0020, 2V(Calc)=88, 2V(Meas)=56. Dispersion r > v.

Calculated Properties of Merlinoite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=2.22 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Merlinoite =2.21 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.01
Boson Index = 0.99

Photoelectric:

PE_Merlinoite= 10.61 barns/electron
U=PE_Merlinoite x r_electron= 23.55 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 90.85 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Concentration of Merlinoite per GRapi unit = 1.10 (%)

Estimated Radioactivity from Merlinoite - barely detectable

Merlinoite Classification

Dana Class:

77.01.03.11 (77)Tectosilicate Zeolite group

(77.01)true zeolites

(77.01.03)Gismondine and related species

77.01.03.01 Gismondine Ca2Al4Si4O16•9(H2O) P 2₁/c 2/m

77.01.03.02 Amicite K2Na2Al4Si4O16•5(H2O) I2 2

77.01.03.03 Garronite Na2Ca5Al12Si20O64•27(H2O) I 4₁/a 4/m

77.01.03.04 Gobbinsite (Na2,Ca)2K2Al6Si10O32•12(H2O) P mn2₁ mm2

77.01.03.05 Harmotome (Ba,Na,K)1-2(Si,Al)8O16•6(H2O) P 2₁/m 2/m

77.01.03.06 Phillipsite-Na (Na,K,Ca)1-2(Si,Al)8O16•6(H2O) P 2₁/m 2/m

77.01.03.06a Phillipsite-Ca! (Ca,K,Na)1-2(Si,Al)8O16•6(H2O) P 2₁/m 2/m

77.01.03.06b Phillipsite-K! (K,Na,Ca)1-2(Si,Al)8O16•6(H2O) P 2₁/m 2/m

77.01.03.08 Perlialite K8Tl4Al12Si24O72•20(H2O) P 6/mmm 6/m 2/m 2/m

77.01.03.09 Paulingite-K (K2,Ca,Na2,Ba)5Al10Si35O90•45(H2O) Im3m 4/m 3 2/m

77.01.03.09a Paulingite-Na! (Na2,K2,Ca,Ba)5Al10Si35O90•45(H2O) Im3m 4/m 3 2/m

77.01.03.09b Paulingite-Ca! (Ca,K,Na,Ba)5[Al10Si35O84]•34(H2O) Im3m 4/m 3 2/m

77.01.03.10 Mazzite-Mg K2CaMg2(Al,Si)36O72•28(H2O) P 6₃/mmc 6/m 2/m 2/m

77.01.03.10a Mazzite-Na! Na8Al8Si28O72•30H2O P 6₃/mmc 6/m 2/m 2/m

77.01.03.11 Merlinoite (K,Ca,Na,Ba)7Si23Al9O64•23(H2O) I mmm 2/m 2/m 2/m

77.01.03.12 Montesommaite (K,Na)9Al9Si23O64•10(H2O) F dd2 mm2

Strunz Class:

09.GC.15 09 - SILICATES (Germanates)

09.G - Tektosilicates with Zeolitic H2O

09.GC -Chains of doubly-connected 4-membered rings

09.GC.15 Merlinoite (K,Ca,Na,Ba)7Si23Al9O64•23(H2O) I mmm 2/m 2/m 2/m

Other Merlinoite Information

References:

NAME( AntBidBlaNic2) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(AntBidBlaNic2)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Merlinoite :
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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Merlinoite

(K,Ca,Na,Ba)7Si23Al9O64•23(H2O)
Dana No: 77.01.03.11 Strunz No: 09.GC.15
Locality:

Notes: