Stilbite
Stilbite | ||
---|---|---|
Specific gravity 2.12 to 2.22 | | |
Optical properties | Biaxial (−) | |
Refractive index | Nx = 1.479 to 1.492, Ny = 1.485 to 1.500, Nz = 1.489 to 1.505[2][3] Nx = 1.484 to 1.500, Ny = 1.492 to 1.507, Nz = 1.494 to 1.513[4][5] | |
Fusibility | Easily fused by blowpipe (~1050 °C) to produce a white "enamel"[6] | |
Solubility | Decomposes in HCl[6] | |
References | [3][4] [8][9] [10][11] |
Stilbite is the name of a series of
- Stilbite-Ca
- Stilbite-Na
Stilbite-Ca, by far the more common of the two, is a hydrous calcium sodium and aluminium silicate, NaCa4(Si27Al9)O72·28(H2O). In the case of stilbite-Na, sodium dominates over calcium. The species are visually indistinguishable, and the series name stilbite is still used whenever testing has not been performed.
History
At one time heulandite and stilbite were considered to be identical minerals. After they were found to be two separate species, in 1818, the name desmine ("a bundle") was proposed for stilbite, and this name is still employed in Germany. The English name "stilbite" is from the Greek stilbein = to shine, because of the pearly luster of the {010} faces.
Stilbite shows a wide variation in exchangeable
Crystal class
Stilbite is usually monoclinic 2/m, meaning that it has one twofold axis of rotational symmetry perpendicular to a mirror plane. The twofold axis is the crystal axis b, and the a and c crystal axes lie in the mirror plane. For a monoclinic crystal a and c are inclined to each other at an angle β which is not a right angle. For stilbite β is nearly 130°. Stilbite crystals, however, appear to be almost orthorhombic, and a larger unit cell can be chosen, containing two formula units (Z = 2) such that resembles an orthorhombic cell, with all three crystal axes very nearly mutually perpendicular. The mineral is said to be pseudo-orthorhombic.
Non-
Habit
Crystals are typically thin tabular, flattened parallel to the dominant cleavage and elongated along the a axis. Aggregates may be sheaf-like or in bow-ties, also fibrous and globular.[2] Twinning, cruciform and penetration, is extremely common on {001}.[7]
Physical and optical properties
The color is usually colorless or white, also yellow, brown, pink, salmon, orange, red, green, blue or black. The
Stilbite is biaxial (-) with
- Nx = 1.479 to 1.492, Ny = 1.485 to 1.500, Nz = 1.489 to 1.505[2][3]
- Nx = 1.484 to 1.500, Ny = 1.492 to 1.507, Nz = 1.494 to 1.513[4][5]
Unit cell and structure
Where sources give cell parameters for stilbite-Na, they are the same as those for stilbite-Ca.
The unit cell can be considered as a monoclinic cell with β close to 130° and one formula unit per unit cell (Z = 1), or as a larger pseudo-orthorhombic cell with β close to 90° and Z = 2.
Cell Parameters for the monoclinic cell:
- a = 13.595 to 13.69 Å, b = 18.197 to 18.31 Å, c = 11.265 to 11.30 Å, β = 127.94 to 128.1°[7]
- a = 13.63 Å, b = 18.17 Å, c = 11.31 Å, β = 129.166°[3][4][8][9]
- a = 13.60 to 13.69 Å, b = 18.20 to 18.31 Å, c = 11.27 Å, β = 128°[2]
Cell parameters for the pseudo-orthorhombic cell:
- a = 13.595 to 13.69 Å, b = 18.197 to 18.31 Å, c = 17.775 to 17.86 Å, β = 90.00 to 90.91°[7]
- a = 13.595 to 13.657 Å, b = 18.197 to 18.309 Å, c = 17.775 to 17.842 Å, β = 90:05 to 90.91°[5] (Z is doubled to Z = 4 because the formula unit halved to NaCa2Al5Si13O36.14H2O)
- a=13.69 Å, b=18.25 Å, c=11.31 Å, β =128.2°[12]
- a = 13.60 to 13.69 Å, b = 18.20 to 18.31 Å, c = 17.78 to 17.86 Å, β = 90.0 to 90.91°[2]
The framework of stilbite is pseudo-orthorhombic with the open channels typical of
Uses
The open channels in the stilbite structure act like a molecular sieve, enabling it to separate
Environment
Stilbite is a low-temperature
Localities
Stilbite is abundant in the volcanic rocks of
Iceland is generally considered to be the type locality for stilbite-Ca. It is presumed to be the Helgusta Iceland Spar Mine, along Reydarfjordur. Excellent white bow ties of stilbite are found here on calcite and quartz, associated with heulandite and laumontite in cavities.[2]
The type locality for stilbite-Na is Cape Pula, Pula, Cagliari Province, Sardinia, Italy. Small, lustrous, white or pink, pointed blades of stilbite-Na, and formless masses, up to 5 cm in diameter, have been found there, covering a thin crust of reddish heulandite in large fractures and cavities in the highly weathered volcanic andesite or rhyolite.
The
Photo gallery
-
Green Stilbite-Ca, which gets its color from inclusions of celadonite
-
Clustered on a matrix of white chalcedony are a group of light salmon stilbite crystals; adjoining is a cluster of mint green fluorapophyllite crystals
-
Intergrown pinkish stilbite crystals showing the "bow-tie" tendency from Jalgaon District, Maharashtra, India.
-
Stilbite crystal aggregates in fan shapes from Wassons Bluff, Nova Scotia.
-
Reddish-orange Stilbite-Ca from Jalgaon District, Maharashtra, India
References
- S2CID 235729616.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Rudy W. Tschernich (1992) Zeolites of the World. Geoscience Press
- ^ a b c d "Stilbite-Ca Mineral Data".
- ^ a b c d http://www.mindat.org/min-7313.html stilbite-Ca
- ^ a b c d e f "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2020-03-29. Retrieved 2010-07-29.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ ISBN 0-471-80580-7
- ^ a b c d Gaines et al (1997) Dana’s New Mineralogy Eighth Edition. Wiley
- ^ a b http://www.mindat.org/min-7314.html stilbite-Na
- ^ a b "Stilbite-Na Mineral Data".
- ^ Slaughter, M. (1970). "Crystal structure of stilbite". American Mineralogist. 55: 387–397. Retrieved 30 December 2020.
- S2CID 99122598.
- ^ a b American Mineralogist (1970) 55: 387–397
- ^ Spencer 1911.
- Attribution
- public domain: Spencer, Leonard James (1911). "Stilbite". In Chisholm, Hugh (ed.). Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. This article incorporates text from a publication now in the