Mirabilite Mineral Data

Mirabilite Mineral Data +

[Mineral Specimens] [Mineral Locations] [About Us] [Search] [Register]
Greenside Minerals
Newest website on the Internet for top quality, affordable minerals from around the World
We specialize in minerals from the UK and Ireland

General Mirabilite Information

Chemical Formula:

Na2SO4·10(H2O)

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 322.20 gm

Sodium 14.27 % Na 19.24 % Na₂O

Hydrogen 6.26 % H 55.91 % H₂O

Sulfur 9.95 % S 24.85 % SO₃

Oxygen 69.52 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Na₂(SO₄)·10(H₂O)

Environment:

Saline mineral deposited from sodium sulfate-chloride brines.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1845

Locality:

Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named after the Latin, sal mirabile Glauberi - "Glauber Salt."

Synonym:

Glauber Salt

ICSD 30505

PDF 11-647

Mirabilite Image

Images:

Mirabilite

Comments: Colorless grains and indistinct crystals of mirabilite. The mineral dehydrates quickly in dry air and must be preserved in a closed box.
Location: Willi Agatz Mine, Dresden, Saxony, Germany. Scale: Picture size 4 mm.
© Thomas Witzke / Abraxas-Verlag

Mirabilite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =1.2386:1:1.1091

Cell Dimensions:

a = 12.82, b = 10.35, c = 11.48, Z = 4; beta = 107.66° V = 1,451.46 Den(Calc)= 1.47

Crystal System:

Monoclinic - PrismaticH-M Symbol (2/m) Space Group: P 2₁/a

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 5.49(1), 3.21(0.75), 3.26(0.6),

Forms:

Mouse
Dbl Clk - Start-Stop Rotation
RMB - Cycle Display Modes
Drag1 - Manipulate Crystal
Drag2 - Resize
Keyboard
S - Stereo
I - Indicies
<space> - Start-Stop Rotation
F - Fit to Screen
M - Menu
Help on Above

Forms: [ 1 0 1] [ 0 1 0] [ 1 1 0] [ 0 2 1] [ 1 1 1] [ 1 0 0] [ 1 1 1] [ 0 0 1]

Warning: this large pop-up is very compute intensive and may not work well with some computers.

Physical Properties of Mirabilite

Cleavage:

[100] Perfect, [001] Poor, [010] Poor

Color:

Colorless, White, Yellowish white, Greenish white.

Density:

1.49

Diaphaniety:

Transparent to translucent to opaque

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:

Efflorescences - Crystals covering matrix, generally produced from transpiro-evaporation.

Habit:

Granular - Generally occurs as anhedral to subhedral crystals in matrix.

Hardness:

1.5-2 - Talc-Gypsum

Luminescence:

None.

Luster:

Vitreous (Glassy)

Streak:

white

Optical Properties of Mirabilite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= -0.013 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= -0.027 (Excellent) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.2778,KPDmeas= 0.2741,KC= 0.2706

Optical Data:

Biaxial (-), a=1.396, b=1.4103, g=1.419, bire=0.0230, 2V(Calc)=74, 2V(Meas)=75.93. Dispersion none.

Pleochroism (x):

none.

Pleochroism (y):

non.

Calculated Properties of Mirabilite

Electron Density:

r_electron=1.57 gm/cc
note: r_Mirabilite=1.49 gm/cc.

Fermion Index

Fermion Index = 0.00108
Boson Index = 0.99892

Photoelectric:

PE_Mirabilite= 0.98 barns/electron
U=PE_Mirabilite x r_electron= 1.55 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)

Mirabilite is Not Radioactive

Mirabilite Classification

Dana Class:

29.2.2.1 (29)Hydrated Acid and Sulfates

(29.2)where (A+)2 XO4 · x(H2O)

(29.2.2)Dana Group

29.2.2.1 Mirabilite Na2SO4·10(H2O) P 2₁/a 2/m

Strunz Class:

VI/C.21-80 VI - Sulfates,Chromates,Molybdates and Tungstates

VI/C - Water-bearing sulfates without unfamiliar anions. Cations of very big size

VI/C.21 - Matteuccite - Mirabilite series

VI/C.21-10 Matteuccite NaHSO4·(H2O) Aa m

VI/C.21-20 Lecontite (NH4,K)Na(SO4)·2(H2O) P 2₁2₁2₁ 2 2 2

VI/C.21-30 Eugsterite Na4Ca(SO4)3·2(H2O) Unk. Mono

VI/C.21-40 Hydroglauberite Na4Ca(SO4)3·2(H2O) Unk. Ortho

VI/C.21-50 Wattevillite Na2Ca(SO4)2·4(H2O)(?) Unk Ortho

VI/C.21-60 Syngenite K2Ca(SO4)2·(H2O) P 2₁/m 2/m

VI/C.21-70 Koktaite (NH4)2Ca(SO4)2·(H2O) P 2₁/m 2/m

VI/C.21-80 Mirabilite Na2SO4·10(H2O) P 2₁/a 2/m

Other Mirabilite Information

References:

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

Search for Mirabilite using:

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

Visit our Advertisers for Mirabilite :
AA Mineral Specimens
B and L Minerals
Crystal Vaults
Dan Weinrich Fine Minerals
Dan Weinrich Auctions
e-Rocks Auctions
Excalibur Minerals
Exceptional Minerals
Fabre Minerals
Greenside Minerals
John Betts Fine Minerals
Masons Minerals
Mineral News
Mineral of the Month Club
MineralsWeb Fine Minerals
Rockshop.cz Kalat Fine Minerals
T G Fine Minerals
Wrights Rock Shop

Translate Mirabilite Mineral Data :

Ask about Mirabilite 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 Mirabilite Specimen Label here :

Mirabilite

Na2SO4·10(H2O)
Dana No: 29.2.2.1 Strunz No: VI/C.21-80
Locality:

Notes: