Boussingaultite Mineral Data

General Boussingaultite Information

Chemical Formula:

(NH4)2Mg(SO4)2•6(H2O)

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 360.60 gm

Magnesium 6.74 % Mg 11.18 % MgO

Hydrogen 2.24 % H - % Calc as (NH₄)₂O

Hydrogen 3.35 % H 29.98 % H₂O

Sulfur 17.78 % S 44.41 % SO₃

Nitrogen 7.77 % N 14.44 % (NH₄)₂O

Oxygen 62.12 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

(NH₄)₂Mg(SO₄)₂•6(H₂O)

Environment:

Sublimate formed under fumarolic conditions.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1864

Locality:

Travale, Val di Cecina, and Larderello, Tuscany, Italy. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named for Jean-Baptiste Joseph Dieudonne Boussingault (1802-1887), French chemist, Lyon University, Lyon, France.

Name Pronunciation:

Boussingaultite + Pronunciation

Synonym:

ICSD 25713

PDF 35-771

Boussingaultite Image

Images:

Boussingaultite

Comments: White, crystalline aggregates boussingaultite.
Location: Anna Mine, Alsdorf, Aachen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Scale: Picture size 5 mm.
© Thomas Witzke / Abraxas-Verlag

Boussingaultite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =0.7382:1:0.4932

Cell Dimensions:

a = 9.28, b = 12.57, c = 6.2, Z = 2; beta = 107.1° V = 691.26 Den(Calc)= 1.73

Crystal System:

Monoclinic - Prismatic H-M Symbol (2/m) Space Group: P 2₁/a

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 4.22(1), 2.085(0.95), 5.11(0.85),

Physical Properties of Boussingaultite

Cleavage:

{???} Perfect, {???} Distinct

Color:

Colorless, Yellow pink, Light yellow, Pink.

Density:

1.7

Diaphaneity:

Transparent

Hardness:

2 - Gypsum

Luminescence:

Non-fluorescent.

Luster:

Vitreous (Glassy)

Magnetism:

Nonmagnetic

Streak:

white

Optical Properties of Boussingaultite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= -0.376 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= -0.352 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.2742,KPDmeas= 0.2791,KC= 0.2029
Ncalc = 1.34 - 1.35

Optical Data:

Biaxial (+), a=1.4716, b=1.473, g=1.4786, bire=0.0070

Calculated Properties of Boussingaultite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=1.82 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Boussingaultite =1.73 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.08
Boson Index = 0.92

Photoelectric:

PE_{Boussingaultite}= 1.31 barns/electron
U=PE_{Boussingaultite} x rElectron Density= 2.40 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

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

Boussingaultite Classification

Dana Class:

29.03.07.02 (29)Hydrated Acid and Sulfates

(29.03)where (A+)2 B (XO4)2 ï¿½ x(H2O)

(29.03.07)Mohrite Group (Ammonia bearing)

29.03.07.01 Mohrite (NH4)2Fe(SO4)2•6(H2O) P 2₁/c 2/m

29.03.07.02 Boussingaultite (NH4)2Mg(SO4)2•6(H2O) P 2₁/a 2/m

29.03.07.03 Nickelboussingaultite (NH4)2(Ni,Mg)(SO4)2•6(H2O) P 2₁/a 2/m

Strunz Class:

07.CC.60 07 - SULFATES (SELENATES, TELLURATES)

07.C - Sulfates (selenates, etc.) without Additional Anions, with H2O

07.CC -With medium-sized and large cations

07.CC.60 Boussingaultite (NH4)2Mg(SO4)2•6(H2O) P 2₁/a 2/m

07.CC.60 Cyanochroite K2Cu(SO4)2•6(H2O) P 2₁/a 2/m

07.CC.60 Mohrite (NH4)2Fe(SO4)2•6(H2O) P 2₁/c 2/m

07.CC.60 Picromerite K2Mg(SO4)2•6(H2O) P 2₁/a 2/m

07.CC.60 Nickelboussingaultite (NH4)2(Ni,Mg)(SO4)2•6(H2O) P 2₁/a 2/m

Other Boussingaultite Information

References:

NAME( AntBidBlaNic5) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Boussingaultite :
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 - MinDAT
10 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
11 - Online Mineral Museum
12 - QUT Mineral Atlas
13 - Ruff.Info

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Boussingaultite

(NH4)2Mg(SO4)2•6(H2O)
Dana No: 29.03.07.02 Strunz No: 07.CC.60
Locality:

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