Merrihueite Mineral Data

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General Merrihueite Information

Chemical Formula:

(K,Na)2(Fe++,Mg)5Si12O30

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 1,126.96 gm

Potassium 5.20 % K 6.27 % K₂O

Sodium 1.02 % Na 1.37 % Na₂O

Magnesium 2.70 % Mg 4.47 % MgO

Iron 18.58 % Fe 23.91 % FeO

Silicon 29.91 % Si 63.98 % SiO₂

Oxygen 42.59 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

K_1.5Na_0.5Fe²⁺_3.75Mg_1.25Si₁₂O₃₀

Environment:

Rare, in a few chondules of a chondrite, as inclusions in clinopyroxenes.

IMA Status:

Approved IMA 1965

Locality:

In the MezÄo-Madaras chondritic meteorite. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named for Craig M. Merrihue (?-1965), meteoriticist, of the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.

Name Pronunciation:

Merrihueite + Pronunciation

Synonym:

ICSD 2717

PDF 21-1270

Merrihueite Image

Images:

Merrihueite Chayesite

Comments: A sharp, chemically zoned crystal of copper-brown merrihueite(?) (see Lapis-Magazine 4/2002 Page 38/39) overgrown on bluish chayesite.
Location: Basalt quarry, Pauliberg Mt., Kobersdorf, Oberpullendorf, Burgenland, Austria. Scale: Crystal Size 0.15 cm.
© Jeff Weissman / Photographic Guide to Mineral Species

Merrihueite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:c = 1:1.40944

Cell Dimensions:

a = 10.16, c = 14.32, Z = 2; V = 1,280.15 Den(Calc)= 2.92

Crystal System:

Hexagonal - Dihexagonal DipyramidalH-M Symbol (6/m 2/m 2/m) Space Group: P 6/mcc

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 2.774(1), 3.73(1), 3.23(0.9),

Crystal Structure:

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Khan A A , Baur W H , Forbes W C , Acta Crystallographica, Section B , 28 (1972) p.267-272, Synthetic magnesian merrihueite, dipotassium pentamagnesium dodecasilicate:, a tetrahedral magnesiosilicate framework crystal structure, Locality: synthetic

Physical Properties of Merrihueite

Color:

Greenish blue.

Density:

2.87

Diaphaneity:

Transparent

Hardness:

5-6 - Between Apatite and Orthoclase

Luster:

Vitreous (Glassy)

Streak:

white

Optical Properties of Merrihueite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= 0.011 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= 0.028 (Excellent) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.1961,KPDmeas= 0.1996,KC= 0.2019
Ncalc = 1.58 - 1.59

Optical Data:

Uniaxial (-), e=1.559-1.592, w=1.57, bire=0.0110-0.0220.

Calculated Properties of Merrihueite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=2.82 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Merrihueite =2.87 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.02
Boson Index = 0.98

Photoelectric:

PE_Merrihueite= 7.24 barns/electron
U=PE_Merrihueite x r_electron= 20.46 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 73.90 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Concentration of Merrihueite per GRapi unit = 1.35 (%)

Estimated Radioactivity from Merrihueite - barely detectable

Merrihueite Classification

Dana Class:

63.02.01a.05 (63)Cyclosilicate Condensed Rings

(63.02)6-membered rings

(63.02.01a)Milarite - Osumilite group (Milarite - Osumilite subgroup)

63.02.01a.01 Brannockite KSn2Li3Si12O30 P 6/mcc 6/m 2/m 2/m

63.02.01a.02 Chayesite K(Mg,Fe)4Fe(Si12O30) P 6/mcc 6/m 2/m 2/m

63.02.01a.03 Darapiosite KNa2Zr[Li(Mn,Zr)2Si12O30] P 6/mcc 6/m 2/m 2/m

63.02.01a.04 Eifelite KNa3Mg4Si12O30 P 6/mcc 6/m 2/m 2/m

63.02.01a.05 Merrihueite (K,Na)2(Fe,Mg)5Si12O30 P 6/mcc 6/m 2/m 2/m

63.02.01a.06 Osumilite-(Fe) (K,Na)(Fe,Mg)2(Al,Fe)3(Si,Al)12O30 P 6/mcc 6/m 2/m 2/m

63.02.01a.07 Osumilite-(Mg) (K,Na)(Mg,Fe)2(Al,Fe)3(Si,Al)12O30 P 6/mcc 6/m 2/m 2/m

63.02.01a.08 Poudretteite KNa2B3Si12O30 P 6/mcc 6/m 2/m 2/m

63.02.01a.09 Sugilite KNa2(Fe,Mn,Al)2Li3Si12O30 P 6/mcc 6/m 2/m 2/m

63.02.01a.10 Yagiite (Na,K)3Mg4(Al,Mg)6(Si,Al)24O60 P 6/mmc 6/m 2/m 2/m

63.02.01a.11 Dusmatovite K(K,Na,[])(Mn,Y,Zr)2(Zn,Li)3Si12O30 P 6/mcc 6/m 2/m 2/m

63.02.01a.12 Milarite K2Ca4Al2Be4Si24O60•(H2O) P 6/mcc 6/m 2/m 2/m

63.02.01a.13 Sogdianite (K,Na)2(Li,Fe,Al)3ZrSi12O30 P 6/mmm 6/m 2/m 2/m

63.02.01a.14 Roedderite (Na,K)2(Mg,Fe)5Si12O30 P 6₃/mmc 6/m 2/m 2/m

63.02.01a.15 Berezanskite! KLi3Ti2Si12O30 P 6/mcc 6/m 2/m 2/m

63.02.01a.16 Shibkovite! K(Ca,Mn,Na)2(K2-x,[]x)2ZnSi12O30(x~0.8) P 6/mcc 6/m 2/m 2/m

63.02.01a.17 Trattnerite! (Fe,Mg)2(Mg,Fe)3(Si12O30) P 6/mcc 6/m 2/m 2/m

63.02.01a.18 Almarudite! K([],Na)2(Mn,Fe,Mg)2(Be,Al)3[Si12O30] P 6/mcc 6/m 2/m 2/m

63.02.01a.19 Oftedalite! (Sc,Ca)2KBe3Si12O30 P 6/mmc 6/m 2/m 2/m

63.02.01a.20 Klochite ([]1Na1)KFe2Zn3[Si12O30] P 6/mcc 6/m 2/m 2/m

63.02.01a.21 Friedrichbeckeite! K([],Na)Mg2(Be2Mg)Si12O30 P 6/mcc 6/m 2/m 2/m

Strunz Class:

09.CM.05 09 - SILICATES (Germanates)

09.C - Cyclosilicates

09.CM -[Si6O18]12- 6-membered double rings (sechser-Doppelringe)

09.CM.05 Brannockite KSn2Li3Si12O30 P 6/mcc 6/m 2/m 2/m

09.CM.05 Armenite BaCa2Al6Si9O30•2(H2O) Pnc2 mm2

09.CM.05 Berezanskite! KLi3Ti2Si12O30 P 6/mcc 6/m 2/m 2/m

09.CM.05 Dusmatovite K(K,Na,[])(Mn,Y,Zr)2(Zn,Li)3Si12O30 P 6/mcc 6/m 2/m 2/m

09.CM.05 Chayesite K(Mg,Fe)4Fe(Si12O30) P 6/mcc 6/m 2/m 2/m

09.CM.05 Shibkovite! K(Ca,Mn,Na)2(K2-x,[]x)2ZnSi12O30(x~0.8) P 6/mcc 6/m 2/m 2/m

09.CM.05 Eifelite KNa3Mg4Si12O30 P 6/mcc 6/m 2/m 2/m

09.CM.05 Darapiosite KNa2Zr[Li(Mn,Zr)2Si12O30] P 6/mcc 6/m 2/m 2/m

09.CM.05 Merrihueite (K,Na)2(Fe,Mg)5Si12O30 P 6/mcc 6/m 2/m 2/m

09.CM.05 Roedderite (Na,K)2(Mg,Fe)5Si12O30 P 6₃/mmc 6/m 2/m 2/m

09.CM.05 Milarite K2Ca4Al2Be4Si24O60•(H2O) P 6/mcc 6/m 2/m 2/m

09.CM.05 Osumilite-(Fe) (K,Na)(Fe,Mg)2(Al,Fe)3(Si,Al)12O30 P 6/mcc 6/m 2/m 2/m

09.CM.05 Osumilite-(Mg) (K,Na)(Mg,Fe)2(Al,Fe)3(Si,Al)12O30 P 6/mcc 6/m 2/m 2/m

09.CM.05 Poudretteite KNa2B3Si12O30 P 6/mcc 6/m 2/m 2/m

09.CM.05 Sugilite KNa2(Fe,Mn,Al)2Li3Si12O30 P 6/mcc 6/m 2/m 2/m

09.CM.05 Sogdianite (K,Na)2(Li,Fe,Al)3ZrSi12O30 P 6/mmm 6/m 2/m 2/m

09.CM.05 Oftedalite! (Sc,Ca)2KBe3Si12O30 P 6/mmc 6/m 2/m 2/m

09.CM.05 Yagiite (Na,K)3Mg4(Al,Mg)6(Si,Al)24O60 P 6/mmc 6/m 2/m 2/m

09.CM.05 Trattnerite! (Fe,Mg)2(Mg,Fe)3(Si12O30) P 6/mcc 6/m 2/m 2/m

09.CM.05 Almarudite! K([],Na)2(Mn,Fe,Mg)2(Be,Al)3[Si12O30] P 6/mcc 6/m 2/m 2/m

Other Merrihueite Information

References:

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

See Also:

Links to other databases for Merrihueite :
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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Merrihueite

(K,Na)2(Fe++,Mg)5Si12O30
Dana No: 63.02.01a.05 Strunz No: 09.CM.05
Locality:

Notes: