Pectolite Mineral Data

Pectolite Mineral Data +

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General Pectolite Information

Chemical Formula:

NaCa2Si3O8(OH)

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 332.40 gm

Sodium 6.92 % Na 9.32 % Na₂O

Calcium 24.11 % Ca 33.74 % CaO

Silicon 25.35 % Si 54.23 % SiO₂

Hydrogen 0.30 % H 2.71 % H₂O

Oxygen 43.32 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

NaCa₂(Si₃O₈)(OH)

Environment:

Secondary mineral in basaltic rocks.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1828

Locality:

Prospect Park quarry, northern New Jersey. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

From the Greek pektos - "compacted" and lithos - "stone."

Synonym:

ICSD 34945

Larimar - blue

PDF 33-1223

Pectolite Image

Images:

Pectolite Aegirine

Comments: White, cottony pectolite tufts with acicular aegirine.
Location: 3M quarry, Little Rock, Pulaski County, Arkansas, USA. Scale: Not Given.
© Lou Perloff / Photo Atlas of Minerals

Images:

Pectolite Sugilite

Comments: Sharp terminated purple crystals of sugilite to 5mm on white, acicular pectolite.
Location: Wessels Mine, Kalahari, South Africa. Scale: Picture size 1.5 cm.
© John Veevaert

Pectolite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =1.1349:1:0.9971

Cell Dimensions:

a = 7.99, b = 7.04, c = 7.02, Z = 2; alpha = 90.05°, beta = 95°, gamma = 102.467° V = 384.09 Den(Calc)= 2.87

Crystal System:

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

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 2.901(1), 3.082(0.4), 3.061(0.2),

Crystal Structure:

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Ohashi Y , Finger L W , American Mineralogist , 63 (1978) p.274-288, The role of octahedral cations in pyroxenoid crystal chemistry. I. Bustamite,, wollastonite, and the pectolite-schizolite-serandite series, sample SCH, from Kangerdluarsuk, Julianehaab, Greenland

View Additional jPOWD Structure files for Pectolite
[1]

Physical Properties of Pectolite

Cleavage:

[001] Perfect, [100] Perfect

Color:

White, Gray, Light pink, Light green.

Density:

2.86

Diaphaniety:

Subtranslucent to translucent to opaque

Fracture:

Splintery - Thin, elongated fractures produced by intersecting good cleavages or partings (e.g. hornblende).

Habit:

Acicular - Occurs as needle-like crystals.

Habit:

Globular - Spherical, or nearly so, rounded forms (e.g. wavellite).

Habit:

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

Hardness:

5 - Apatite

Luminescence:

Triboluminescent.

Luster:

Vitreous - Silky

Streak:

white

Optical Properties of Pectolite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= -0.022 (Excellent) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= -0.019 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.2145,KPDmeas= 0.2153,KC= 0.2106

Optical Data:

Biaxial (+), a=1.594-1.61, b=1.603-1.614, g=1.631-1.642, bire=0.0320-0.0370, 2V(Calc)=42-60, 2V(Meas)=50-63. Dispersion very weak, r > v.

Pleochroism (x):

colorless.

Pleochroism (y):

colorless.

Pleochroism (z):

colorless.

Calculated Properties of Pectolite

Electron Density:

r_electron=2.87 gm/cc
note: r_Pectolite=2.87 gm/cc.

Fermion Index

Fermion Index = 0.01237
Boson Index = 0.98763

Photoelectric:

PE_Pectolite= 4.04 barns/electron
U=PE_Pectolite x r_electron= 11.58 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)

Pectolite is Not Radioactive

Pectolite Classification

Dana Class:

65.2.1.4 (65)Inosilicate Single-Width Unbranched Chains, W=1

(65.2)with chains P=3

(65.2.1)Wollastonite group

65.2.1.1a Wollastonite-1A CaSiO3 P1 1

65.2.1.1b Wollastonite-2M* CaSiO3 P 2₁ 2

65.2.1.1c Wollastonite-3A-4A-5A-7A* CaSiO3 P1 1

65.2.1.2 Bustamite (Mn,Ca)3Si3O9 P1 1

65.2.1.3 Ferrobustamite Ca(Fe,Ca,Mn)Si2O6 P1 1

65.2.1.4 Pectolite NaCa2Si3O8(OH) P1 1

65.2.1.5 Serandite Na(Mn,Ca)2Si3O8(OH) P1 1

65.2.1.6 Cascandite Ca(Sc,Fe)Si3O8(OH) C1 1

65.2.1.7 Denisovite (K,Na)Ca2Si3O8(F,OH) Mono

Strunz Class:

VIII/F.18-60 VIII - Silicates

VIII/F - Inosilicates (chain and band) Triplet chains [Si3O9]6-

VIII/F.18 - Wollastonite-2M - Foshagite series

VIII/F.18-10 Wollastonite-1A CaSiO3 P1 1

VIII/F.18-10* Wollastonite-2M* CaSiO3 P 2₁ 2

VIII/F.18-10** Wollastonite-3A-4A-5A-7A* CaSiO3 P1 1

VIII/F.18-30 Ferrobustamite Ca(Fe,Ca,Mn)Si2O6 P1 1

VIII/F.18-40 Bustamite (Mn,Ca)3Si3O9 P1 1

VIII/F.18-50 Cascandite Ca(Sc,Fe)Si3O8(OH) C1 1

VIII/F.18-60 Pectolite NaCa2Si3O8(OH) P1 1

VIII/F.18-70 Denisovite (K,Na)Ca2Si3O8(F,OH) Mono

VIII/F.18-80 Serandite Na(Mn,Ca)2Si3O8(OH) P1 1

VIII/F.18-90 Foshagite Ca4Si3O9(OH)2 P 2₁/m 2/m

VIII/F.18-100 Hillebrandite Ca6Si3O9(OH)6 C mc2₁ mm2

Other Pectolite Information

References:

NAME( Sinkankas66) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(Heinrich65)

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Pectolite

NaCa2Si3O8(OH)
Dana No: 65.2.1.4 Strunz No: VIII/F.18-60
Locality:

Notes: