Simmonsite Mineral Data

Simmonsite Mineral Data +

[Fine Minerals] [What's New] [Mineral Galleries] [My Collection] [Mineral Auctions]
Dan Weinrich Fine Minerals
Full-time professional mineral dealer with over 31 years experience in mineral collecting
And 15 years selling mineral specimens on the internet and at major mineral shows

General Simmonsite Information

Chemical Formula:

Na2LiAlF6

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 193.89 gm

Sodium 23.71 % Na 31.97 % Na₂O

Lithium 3.58 % Li 7.71 % Li₂O

Aluminum 13.92 % Al 26.29 % Al₂O₃

Fluorine 58.79 % F 58.79 % F

- % F -24.76 % -O=F₂

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Na₂LiAlF₆

Environment:

Found in a late-stage breccia pipe that cuts the Zapot amazonitic microcline - topaz - zinnwaldite granitic pegmatite.

IMA Status:

Approved IMA 1998 (Dana # Added)

Locality:

Gillis Range, Mineral County, Nevada, U.S.A. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named after William B. "Skip" Simmons (b. 1943), University of New Orleans, New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.A., specialist in the mineralogy and petrology of granitic pegmatites, especi ally those of Colorado and of NYF type

Synonym:

IMA1997-045

Simmonsite Image

Images:

Simmonsite

Comments: Backscattered electron images of primary assemblage of cryolite-cryolithionite (cl) simmonsite (sm) and trace elpasolite (ep). (AmMin, v 84, p 770).
Location: Zapot amazonite-topaz-zinnwaldite pegmatite located in the Gillis Range, Mineral Co., Nevada, USA. Scale: See Image.
© American Mineralogist

Simmonsite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =0.984:1:1.3978

Cell Dimensions:

a = 5.2842, b = 5.3698, c = 7.5063, Z = 2; beta = 89.98° V = 212.99 Den(Calc)= 3.02

Crystal System:

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

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 4.33(1), 1.877(0.9), 2.25(0.7),

Physical Properties of Simmonsite

Cleavage:

None

Color:

Pale buff cream.

Density:

3.05

Diaphaniety:

Transparent to translucent

Fracture:

Sub Conchoidal - Fractures developed in brittle materials characterized by semi-curving surfaces.

Habit:

Inclusions - Generally found as inclusions in other minerals.

Habit:

Microscopic Crystals - Crystals visible only with microscopes.

Hardness:

2.5-3 - Finger Nail-Calcite

Luster:

Greasy (Oily)

Streak:

white

Optical Properties of Simmonsite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= 0.293 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= 0.286 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.1189,KPDmeas= 0.1177,KC= 0.1664

Optical Data:

Biaxial (?), a=1.359, b=1.359, g=1.359, bire=0.0000

Calculated Properties of Simmonsite

Electron Density:

r_electron=2.87 gm/cc
note: r_Simmonsite=3.02 gm/cc.

Fermion Index

Fermion Index = 0.00268
Boson Index = 0.99732

Photoelectric:

PE_Simmonsite= 1.10 barns/electron
U=PE_Simmonsite x r_electron= 3.14 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)

Simmonsite is Not Radioactive

Simmonsite Classification

Dana Class:

11.6.1.2 (11)Halide Complexes; Alumino-fluorides

(11.6)with miscellaneous formulae

(11.6.1)Dana Group

11.6.1.1 Cryolite Na3AlF6 P 2₁/n 2/m

11.6.1.2 Simmonsite ! Na2LiAlF6 P 2₁/n 2/m

Strunz Class:

III/B.03-25 III - Halogenides

III/B - Double halogenides without water, with [BF4]1-,[SiF6]2- and [AlF6]3-

III/B.03 - Kryolithionite - Calcjarlite series

III/B.03-10 Cryolithionite Na3Li3Al2F12 I a3d 4/m 3 2/m

III/B.03-20 Colquiriite CaLiAlF6 P 3c 3 2/m

III/B.03-25 Simmonsite Na2LiAlF6 P 2₁/n 2/m

III/B.03-30 Cryolite Na3AlF6 P 2₁/n 2/m

III/B.03-40 Elpasolite K2NaAlF6 F m3m 4/m 3 2/m

III/B.03-45 Bogvadite Na2SrBa2Al4F20 Pnmn,Pn2n Ortho

III/B.03-48 Jorgensenite! Na2(Sr,Ba)14Na2Al12F64(OH,F) C 2/m 2/m

III/B.03-50 Jarlite Na(Sr,Na,[])7(Mg,[])Al6F32(OH,H2O)2 C 2/m 2/m

III/B.03-60 Calcjarlite Na(Ca,Sr)3Al3(F,OH)16 C 2/m 2/m

Other Simmonsite Information

References:

NAME( CanMin, 8/99) PHYS. PROP.(MinRec, V 31, No. 2, AmMin, v 89, p 252) OPTIC PROP.(Eur. J. Min.,Vol.10,1998)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Simmonsite :
1 -Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database 2 -Athena 3 -Google Images 4 -Google Scholar 5 -Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA) 6 -MinDAT 7 -MinMax(Deutsch) 8 -MinMax(English) 9 -Mineralienatlas (Deutsch) 10 -QUT Mineral Atlas

Search for Simmonsite using:

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

Visit our Advertisers for Simmonsite :

AA Mineral Specimens

B & L Fine Minerals

Crystal Vaults

Dan Weinrich Fine Minerals

Dan Weinrich Auctions

John Betts Fine Minerals

Mason's Minerals

Mineral News

Mineral of the Month Club

MineralsWeb Fine Minerals

Rockshop.cz

T G Fine Minerals

Wrights Rock Shop

Translate Simmonsite Mineral Data :

Ask about Simmonsite 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 Simmonsite Specimen Label here :

Simmonsite

Na2LiAlF6
Dana No: 11.6.1.2 Strunz No: III/B.03-25
Locality:

Notes: