Tschernichite Mineral Data

Tschernichite Mineral Data +

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General Tschernichite Information

Chemical Formula:

(Ca,Na)(Si6Al2)O16·4-8(H2O)

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 658.39 gm

Sodium 0.87 % Na 1.18 % Na₂O

Calcium 4.57 % Ca 6.39 % CaO

Aluminum 8.20 % Al 15.49 % Al₂O₃

Silicon 25.59 % Si 54.76 % SiO₂

Hydrogen 2.45 % H 21.89 % H₂O

Oxygen 58.32 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 99.70 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Ca_0.75Na_0.25Si₆Al₂O₁₆·8(H₂O)

Environment:

In vesicles in an olivine basalt, formed by hydrothermal action. Monoclinic polymorph may be a separate species.

IMA Status:

Approved IMA 1991

Locality:

Neer Road pit, Goble, Colombia County, Oregon, USA. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named for Rudy Warren Tschernich (1945-), amateur mineralogist specializing in zeolites.

Synonym:

IMA1989-037

Tschernichite Image

Images:

Tschernichite

Comments: Clear crystal of tschernichite in a vug.
Location: Goble, Colombia County, Oregon, USA. Scale: Not Given.
© Lou Perloff / Photo Atlas of Minerals

Tschernichite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:c = 1:1.94254

Cell Dimensions:

a = 12.88, c = 25.02, Z = 8; V = 4,150.68 Den(Calc)= 2.11

Crystal System:

Tetragonal - Ditetragonal DipyramidalH-M Symbol (4/m 2/m 2/m) Space Group: P 4/mmm

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 4.03(1), 11.6(0.32), 2.114(0.16),3.156(0.16), 3.062(0.15), 4.22(0.14), 12.5(0.1),

Crystal Structure:

Mouse
drag1 - LMB Manipulate Structure
drag2 - RMB Resize/Rotate
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S - Stereo Pair on/off
H - Help Screen
I - Data Info
A - Atoms On/Off
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Help on Above

Alberti A , Cruciani G , Galli E , Merlino S , Millini R , Quartieri S , Vezzalini G , Zanardi S , Journal of Physical Chemistry , B106 (2002) p.10277-10284, Crystal structure of tetragonal and monoclinic polytypes of tschernichite,, the natural counterpart of synthetic zeolite beta, Locality: Mt. Adamson, Northern Victoria Land, Antarctica, Sample: large crystal, monoclinic, Note: Ca1 occupancies invented to better represent crystal

View Additional jPOWD Structure files for Tschernichite
[1]

Physical Properties of Tschernichite

Cleavage:

None

Color:

Colorless, Milky white.

Density:

2.02

Diaphaniety:

Transparent to Translucent

Fracture:

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

Habit:

Aggregates - Made of numerous individual crystals or clusters.

Habit:

Druse - Crystal growth in a cavity which results in numerous crystal tipped surfaces.

Hardness:

4.5 - Between Fluorite and Apatite

Luminescence:

Sometimes Fluorescent, Short UV=pale yellow, Long UV=pale yellow.

Luster:

Vitreous (Glassy)

Streak:

white

Optical Properties of Tschernichite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= -0.014 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= 0.029 (Excellent) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.2291,KPDmeas= 0.2394,KC= 0.236

Optical Data:

Uniaxial (-), e=1.483, w=1.484, bire=0.0010.

Calculated Properties of Tschernichite

Electron Density:

r_electron=2.06 gm/cc
note: r_{Tschernichite}=2.02 gm/cc.

Fermion Index

Fermion Index = 0.01229
Boson Index = 0.98771

Photoelectric:

PE_{Tschernichite}= 1.84 barns/electron
U=PE_{Tschernichite} x r_electron= 3.79 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)

Tschernichite is Not Radioactive

Tschernichite Classification

Dana Class:

77.1.8.2 (77)Tectosilicate Zeolite group

(77.1)true zeolites

(77.1.8)Unclassified zeolite species

77.1.8.1 Bellbergite (K,Ba,Sr)2Sr2Ca2(Ca,Na)4Al18Si18O72·30(H2O) P 6₃/mmc, P 6₂c-, P 6₃mc Hex

77.1.8.2 Tschernichite (Ca,Na)(Si6Al2)O16·4-8(H2O) P 4/mmm 4/m 2/m 2/m

77.1.8.3 Mazzite-Na! Na8Al8Si28O72·30(H2O) P 6₃/mmc 6/m 2/m 2/m

Strunz Class:

VIII/J.26-40 VIII - Silicates

VIII/J - Tectosilicates (network), with zeolite-structure, Bladed Zeolites

VIII/J.26 - Zeolite group, Willhendersonite - Chabazite - Perialite series

VIII/J.26-10 Willhendersonite KCaAl3Si3O12·5(H2O) P1 1

VIII/J.26-20 Chabazite-Na! (Na2,K2,Ca,Mg)[Al2Si4O12]·6(H2O) R 3m 3 2/m

VIII/J.26-25 Chabazite-K! (K2,Ca,Na2,Mg)[Al2Si4O12]·6(H2O) R 3m 3 2/m

VIII/J.26-30 Chabazite-Ca (Ca0.5,Na,K)4[Al4Si8O24]·12H2O P1 1

VIII/J.26-35 Chabazite-Sr! (Sr,Ca,K2,Na2)[Al2Si4O12]·6(H2O) R 3m 3 2/m

VIII/J.26-40 Tschernichite (Ca,Na)(Si6Al2)O16·4-8(H2O) P 4/mmm 4/m 2/m 2/m

VIII/J.26-50 Gmelinite-Na (Na2,Ca)Al2Si4O12·6(H2O) P 6₃/mmc 6/m 2/m 2/m

VIII/J.26-52 Gmelinite-K! (K,Na,Ca)6(Al7Si17O48)·22(H2O) P 6₃/mmc 6/m 2/m 2/m

VIII/J.26-54 Gmelinite-Ca! (Ca,Na2)Al2Si4O12·6(H2O) P 6₃/mmc 6/m 2/m 2/m

VIII/J.26-58 Levyne-Na! (Na2,Ca,K2)Al2Si4O12·6(H2O) R 3m 3 2/m

VIII/J.26-60 Levyne-Ca (Ca,Na2,K2)Al2Si4O12·6(H2O) R 3m 3 2/m

VIII/J.26-70 Offretite (K2,Ca,Mg)2.5Al5Si13O36·15(H2O) P 6m2 6 m2

VIII/J.26-80 Mazzite K2CaMg2(Al,Si)36O72·28(H2O) P 6₃/mmc 6/m 2/m 2/m

VIII/J.26-90 Erionite-Na (Na2,K2,Ca)2[Al4Si14O36]·15(H2O) P 6₃/mmc 6/m 2/m 2/m

VIII/J.26-92 Erionite-K! (K2,Ca,Na2)2[Al4Si14O36]·15(H2O) P 6₃/mmc 6/m 2/m 2/m

VIII/J.26-94 Erionite-Ca! (Ca,K2,Na2)2[Al4Si14O36]·15(H2O) P 6₃/mmc 6/m 2/m 2/m

VIII/J.26-95 Bellbergite (K,Ba,Sr)2Sr2Ca2(Ca,Na)4Al18Si18O72·30(H2O) P 6₃/mmc, P 6₂c-, P 6₃mc Hex

VIII/J.26-100 Perlialite K8Tl4Al12Si24O72·20(H2O) P 6/mmm 6/m 2/m 2/m

Other Tschernichite Information

References:

NAME( AntBidBlaNic2) PHYS. PROP.(Am.Min.,Vol.78,p822-826,1993) OPTIC PROP.(Am.Min.,Vol.78,p822-826,1993)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Tschernichite :
1 -Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database 2 -Athena 3 - EUROmin Project 4 -Google Images 5 -Google Scholar 6 -Handbook of Mineralogy (MinSocAm) 7 -Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA) 8 -MinDAT 9 -MinMax(Deutsch) 10 -MinMax(English) 11 -Mineralienatlas (Deutsch) 12 -QUT Mineral Atlas 13 -École des Mines de Paris

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Tschernichite

(Ca,Na)(Si6Al2)O16·4-8(H2O)
Dana No: 77.1.8.2 Strunz No: VIII/J.26-40
Locality:

Notes: