Barringtonite Mineral Data

General Barringtonite Information

Chemical Formula:

MgCO3•2(H2O)

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 120.34 gm

Magnesium 20.20 % Mg 33.49 % MgO

Hydrogen 3.35 % H 29.94 % H₂O

Carbon 9.98 % C 36.57 % CO₂

Oxygen 66.47 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Mg(CO₃)•2(H₂O)

Environment:

Found with nesquehonite on the surfaces of olivine basalt.

IMA Status:

Approved IMA 1965

Locality:

Barrington Tops, NSW, Australia. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named for the locality.

Name Pronunciation:

Barringtonite + Pronunciation

Barringtonite Image

Images:

Lansfordite Barringtonite

Comments: Optical images of clusters of glassy lansfordite crystals and one white dehydrated barringtonite ? crystal. (AmMin, 88:1883).
Location: Crystals associated with the remains of a saguaro, Carnegiea gigantea from south and west central Arizona. Scale: Scale bar 800 µ-m.
© American Mineralogist

Barringtonite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =1.5209:1:1.0119

Cell Dimensions:

a = 9.156, b = 6.02, c = 6.092, Z = 4; alpha = 94°, beta = 95.5°, gamma = 108.7° V = 315.82 Den(Calc)= 2.53

Crystal System:

Triclinic Space Group: P1 or P1

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 2.936(1), 3.093(1), 8.682(1),

Physical Properties of Barringtonite

Cleavage:

{001} Distinct, {100} Distinct, {010} Distinct

Color:

Colorless.

Density:

2.83

Diaphaneity:

Transparent

Habit:

Fibrous - Crystals made up of fibers.

Habit:

Nodular - Tuberose forms having irregular protuberances over the surface.

Habit:

Radial - Crystals radiate from a center without producing stellar forms (e.g. stibnite)

Streak:

white

Optical Properties of Barringtonite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= 0.314 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= 0.236 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.1879,KPDmeas= 0.1687,KC= 0.2459
Ncalc = 1.62 - 1.7

Optical Data:

Biaxial (+), a=1.458, b=1.473, g=1.501, bire=0.0430, 2V(Calc)=74, 2V(Meas)=73.7.

Calculated Properties of Barringtonite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=2.62 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Barringtonite =2.54 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.02
Boson Index = 0.98

Photoelectric:

PE_{Barringtonite}= 0.67 barns/electron
U=PE_{Barringtonite} x rElectron Density= 1.76 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

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

Barringtonite Classification

Dana Class:

15.01.05.01 (15)Hydrated Carbonates

(15.01)where A+ (XO3) ï¿½ x(H2O)

(15.01.05)Dana Group

15.01.05.01 Barringtonite MgCO3•2(H2O) P1 or P1 Tri

Strunz Class:

05.CA.15 05 - CARBONATES (NITRATES)

05.C - Carbonates without Additional Anions, with H2O

05.CA -With medium-sized cations

05.CA.15 Barringtonite MgCO3•2(H2O) P1 or P1 Tri

Other Barringtonite Information

References:

NAME( Dana8) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(Dana8)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Barringtonite :
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

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Print or Cut-and-Paste your Barringtonite Specimen Label here :

Barringtonite

MgCO3•2(H2O)
Dana No: 15.01.05.01 Strunz No: 05.CA.15
Locality:

Notes:

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