Balliranoite
| Balliranoite | ||
|---|---|---|
| General | ||
| Category | Mohs scale hardness 5 | |
| Luster | Vitreous | |
| Streak | White | |
| Density | 2.48 g/cm3 | |
| Optical properties | uniaxial positive | |
| References | [2] [3][4] | |
Balliranoite ((Na,K)6Ca2(Si6Al6O24)Cl2(CO)3) is a mineral that was discovered at Monte Somma – Vesuvio volcanic complex, Campania, Italy. This mineral is named in honor of Paolo Ballirano (b. 1964), Italian crystallographer and professor in the Department of Earth Sciences, University of Rome ‘‘La Sapienza’’, who has made important contributions to the crystal chemistry of cancrinite-group minerals.
Occurrence
Balliranoite is found in an alkaline
Mineral properties
The idealized formula for balliranoite is (Na,K)6Ca2(Si6Al6O24)Cl2(CO3), and the empirical formula based on 12 Si atoms with isomorphic substitution by Al atoms is: Na4.70Ca2.53K0.73(Si6.02Al5.98O23.995)Cl2.34(CO3)0.82(SO40.27*0.12H2O.[3] This is a uniaxial (+) mineral with w = 1.523(2), e = 1.525(2), composed of the following compounds:[3]
| Compound | wt% | Range |
|---|---|---|
| Na2O | 13.05 | 12.80-13.24 |
| K2O | 3.08 | 3.01-3.16 |
| CaO | 12.70 | 12.56-12.85 |
| Al2O3 | 27.28 | 27.17-27.42 |
| SiO2 | 32.38 | 32.23-32.55 |
| CO2 | 3.24 | 3.18-3.30 |
| SO3 | 1.96 | 1.79-2.10 |
| Cl | 7.43 | 7.20-7.70 |
| H2O | 0.19 | 0.15-0.23 |
| -O=Cl2 | -1.68 | - |
| Total | 99.63 | - |
X-ray crystallography
The powder diffraction data for balliranoite is:
| d-spacing ( Å )
|
Intensity |
|---|---|
| 4.797 | (100) |
| 3.669 | (57) |
| 3.281 | (73) |
| 2.754 | (16) |
| 2.662 | (58) |
| 2.648 | (13) |
| 2.446 | (31) |
| 2.120 | (18) |
See also
References
- S2CID 235729616.
- ^ E-Rock MinTreasure. 2020. England. Available in
- ^ a b c Chukanov, N.V., Zubkova, N.V., Pekov, I.V., Olysych, L.V., Bonaccorsi, E., Pushcharovsky, D.Yu (2010): Balliranoite, (Na,K)6Ca2(Si6Al6O24)Cl2(CO3), a new cancrinite-group mineral from Monte Somma - Vesuvio volcanic complex, Italy. European Journal of Mineralogy, 22, 113-119. Available in [1]
- ^ Hudson Institute of Mineralogy. 2021. Balliranoite. Mindat. Available in [2]
- ^ "Balliranoite". www.mindat.org.