Pigeonite Mineral Data

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General Pigeonite Information

Chemical Formula:

(Mg,Fe++,Ca)(Mg,Fe++)Si2O6

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 219.70 gm

Calcium 1.82 % Ca 2.55 % CaO

Magnesium 14.93 % Mg 24.77 % MgO

Iron 13.98 % Fe 17.99 % FeO

Silicon 25.57 % Si 54.70 % SiO₂

Oxygen 43.69 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Mg_1.35Fe²⁺_0.55Ca_0.1Si₂O₆

Environment:

Common in rapidly cooled siliceous volcanic rocks. Inverted varieties with exsolved augite are found in layered mafic intrusives. From metamorphosed iron formations.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1900

Locality:

Pigeon Point, Cook Co., Minnesota Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named for the locality.

Name Pronunciation:

Pigeonite + Pronunciation

Synonym:

ICSD 15197

PDF 13-421

Pigeonite Image

Images:

Pigeonite

Comments: Dark green prismatic pigeonite crystals in matrix.
Location: Belmont Quarry, Louden County, Virginia, USA. Scale: See Photo.
© Jeff Weissman / Photographic Guide to Mineral Species

Pigeonite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =1.0844:1:0.5861

Cell Dimensions:

a = 9.706, b = 8.95, c = 5.246, Z = 4; beta = 108.59° V = 431.94 Den(Calc)= 3.38

Crystal System:

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

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 2.9(1), 3.02(1), 3.21(0.8),

Crystal Structure:

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Morimoto N , Guven N , American Mineralogist , 55 (1970) p.1195-1209, Refinement of the crystal structure of pigeonite

View Additional jPOWD Structure files for Pigeonite
[1] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [19] [2] [20] [21] [22] [23] [24] [25] [26] [27] [28] [29] [3] [30] [31] [32] [33] [34] [35] [36] [37] [38] [39] [4] [40] [41] [42] [43] [44] [45] [46] [47] [48] [49] [5] [50] [6] [7] [8] [9]

Physical Properties of Pigeonite

Cleavage:

{110} Good

Color:

Brown, Greenish brown, Light purple brown, Black.

Density:

3.3 - 3.46, Average = 3.38

Diaphaneity:

Translucent to Subopaque

Fracture:

Brittle - Conchoidal - Very brittle fracture producing small, conchoidal fragments.

Hardness:

6 - Orthoclase

Luster:

Vitreous - Dull

Streak:

gray white

Optical Properties of Pigeonite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= -0.039 (Good) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= -0.039 (Good) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.2104,KPDmeas= 0.2104,KC= 0.2025
Ncalc = 1.67 - 1.7

Optical Data:

Biaxial (+), a=1.683-1.722, b=1.684-1.722, g=1.704-1.752, bire=0.0210-0.0300, 2V(Calc)=0-26, 2V(Meas)=0-32. Dispersion weak to distinct, r < v.

Pleochroism (x):

colorless, faint pink, pink, or pale greenish brown.

Pleochroism (y):

colorless, faint pink, brownish pink, or pale greenish brown.

Pleochroism (z):

colorless, faint green, pale green, or pale reddish brown.

Calculated Properties of Pigeonite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=3.34 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Pigeonite =3.38 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.03
Boson Index = 0.97

Photoelectric:

PE_Pigeonite= 5.66 barns/electron
U=PE_Pigeonite x rElectron Density= 18.89 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Pigeonite is Not Radioactive

Pigeonite Classification

Dana Class:

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

(65.01)with chains P=2

(65.01.01)P2/c clinopyroxenes

65.01.01.01 Clinoenstatite Mg2Si2O6 P 2₁/c 2/m

65.01.01.02 Clinoferrosilite (Fe,Mg)2Si2O6 P 2₁/c 2/m

65.01.01.03 Kanoite (Mn,Mg)2Si2O6 P 2₁/c 2/m

65.01.01.04 Pigeonite (Mg,Fe,Ca)(Mg,Fe)Si2O6 P 2₁/c 2/m

Strunz Class:

09.DA.10 09 - SILICATES (Germanates)

09.D - Inosilicates* Structural terminology according to Liebau (1985)

09.DA -Inosilicates with 2-periodic single chains, Si2O6; pyroxene family

09.DA.10 Clinoenstatite Mg2Si2O6 P 2₁/c 2/m

09.DA.10 Clinoferrosilite (Fe,Mg)2Si2O6 P 2₁/c 2/m

09.DA.10 Kanoite (Mn,Mg)2Si2O6 P 2₁/c 2/m

09.DA.10 Pigeonite (Mg,Fe,Ca)(Mg,Fe)Si2O6 P 2₁/c 2/m

Other Pigeonite Information

References:

NAME( AntBidBlaNic2) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(Heinrich65)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Pigeonite :
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 - UCLA - Petrography Thin-Sections
16 - WWW-MINCRYST

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Pigeonite

(Mg,Fe++,Ca)(Mg,Fe++)Si2O6
Dana No: 65.01.01.04 Strunz No: 09.DA.10
Locality:

Notes: