Nekoite Mineral Data

Nekoite Mineral Data +

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General Nekoite Information

Chemical Formula:

Ca3Si6O15·7(H2O)

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 654.84 gm

Calcium 18.36 % Ca 25.69 % CaO

Silicon 25.73 % Si 55.05 % SiO₂

Hydrogen 2.15 % H 19.26 % H₂O

Oxygen 53.75 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Ca₃Si₆O₁₅·7(H₂O)

Environment:

Metamorphosed limestone.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1956

Locality:

Crestmore quarry, 5 miles NW of Riverside, Riverside Co., California. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named by reversing the order for okenite (Lorenz Oken (1779-1851), German natural historian, Munich Germany) because the minerals were so similer.

Synonym:

ICSD 100436

PDF 31-303

Nekoite Image

Images:

Nekoite

Comments: Sprays of translucent acicular nekoite crystals.
Location: Iron Cap Mine, Graham County, Arizona, USA. Scale: See Photo.
© Jeff Weissman / Photographic Guide to Mineral Species

Nekoite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =0.7748:1:0.7494

Cell Dimensions:

a = 7.588, b = 9.793, c = 7.339, Z = 1; alpha = 111.77°, beta = 103.5°, gamma = 86.53° V = 491.56 Den(Calc)= 2.21

Crystal System:

Triclinic - PedialH-M Symbol (1) Space Group: P1

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 9.1(1), 3.319(0.9), 6.64(0.65),

Crystal Structure:

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Alberti A , Galli E , American Mineralogist , 65 (1980) p.1270-1276, The structure of nekoite, Ca3Si6O15*7H2O, a new type of sheet silicate

Physical Properties of Nekoite

Cleavage:

[100] Distinct

Color:

Pearl white.

Density:

2.23

Luster:

Pearly

Streak:

white

Optical Properties of Nekoite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= -0.026 (Excellent) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= -0.035 (Excellent) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.2421,KPDmeas= 0.2399,KC= 0.2339

Optical Data:

Biaxial (+), b=1.535, 2V(Meas)=70.

Calculated Properties of Nekoite

Electron Density:

r_electron=2.27 gm/cc
note: r_Nekoite=2.23 gm/cc.

Fermion Index

Fermion Index = 0.01252
Boson Index = 0.98748

Photoelectric:

PE_Nekoite= 3.24 barns/electron
U=PE_Nekoite x r_electron= 7.38 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)

Nekoite is Not Radioactive

Nekoite Classification

Dana Class:

72.3.2.7 (72)Phyllosilicate Two-Dimensional Infinite Sheets with Other Than Six-Membered Rings

(72.3)with 3-, 4-, or 5-membered rings and 8-membered rings

(72.3.2)Tobermorite group (5- & 8-membered rings)

72.3.2.1 Tobermorite Ca5Si6O16(OH)2·4(H2O) C 222₁ 2 2 2

72.3.2.2 Clinotobermorite Ca5Si6(O,OH)18·5(H2O) Cc,C 2/c Mono

72.3.2.3 Plombierite Ca5H2Si6O18·6(H2O)(?) C 222₁ 2 2 2

72.3.2.4 Riversideite Ca5Si6O16(OH)2·2(H2O) B2212 2 2 2

72.3.2.5 Okenite Ca3[Si6O15]·6(H2O) P1 or P1 Tri

72.3.2.6 Tacharanite Ca12Al2Si18O33(OH)36 A centered Mono

72.3.2.7 Nekoite Ca3Si6O15·7(H2O) P1 1

72.3.2.8 Oyelite Ca10B2Si8O29·12(H2O) B**** Ortho

Strunz Class:

VIII/F.21-10 VIII - Silicates

VIII/F - Inosilicates (chain and band) Triplet chains [Si6O15/17]6-/10- and modified triplet bands

VIII/F.21 - Nekoite - Tacharanite series

VIII/F.21-10 Nekoite Ca3Si6O15·7(H2O) P1 1

VIII/F.21-20 Scawtite Ca7Si6(CO3)O18·2(H2O) C 2/m 2/m

VIII/F.21-30 Xonotlite Ca6Si6O17(OH)2 P 2/a 2/m

VIII/F.21-40 Tacharanite Ca12Al2Si18O33(OH)36 A centered Mono

Other Nekoite Information

References:

NAME( Dana8) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990)

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

Nekoite

Ca3Si6O15·7(H2O)
Dana No: 72.3.2.7 Strunz No: VIII/F.21-10
Locality:

Notes: