Buddingtonite Mineral Data

General Buddingtonite Information

Chemical Formula:

(NH4)AlSi3O8•0.5(H2O)

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 266.28 gm

Aluminum 10.13 % Al 19.15 % Al₂O₃

Silicon 31.64 % Si 67.69 % SiO₂

Hydrogen 1.51 % H - % Calc as (NH₄)₂O

Hydrogen 0.38 % H 3.38 % H₂O

Nitrogen 5.26 % N 9.78 % (NH₄)₂O

Oxygen 51.07 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

(NH₄)Al(Si₃O₈)•0.5(H₂O)

Environment:

Plagioclase altered by ammonium-bearing waters.

IMA Status:

Approved IMA 1964

Locality:

Sulfur Bank mine, end of east arm of clear Lake, Lake Co. California. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named for Arthur Francis Buddington (1890-1980), American petrologist, Princeton University.

Name Pronunciation:

Buddingtonite + Pronunciation

Buddingtonite Image

Images:

Buddingtonite

Comments: Chalky massive buddingtonite.
Location: Sharon Heights, Menlo Park, San Mateo County, California, USA. Scale: See Photo.
© Jeff Weissman / Photographic Guide to Mineral Species

Buddingtonite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =0.6576:1:0.5514

Cell Dimensions:

a = 8.571, b = 13.032, c = 7.187, Z = 4; beta = 112.7° V = 740.58 Den(Calc)= 2.39

Crystal System:

Monoclinic Space Group: P 2₁ or P 2₁/m

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 3.81(1), 6.52(0.96), 3.381(0.72),

Physical Properties of Buddingtonite

Cleavage:

{001} Good, {010} Distinct

Color:

Colorless, White.

Density:

2.32

Diaphaneity:

Transparent to Translucent

Fracture:

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

Habit:

Cryptocrystalline - Occurs as crystals too small to distinguish with the naked eye.

Habit:

Pseudomorphous - Occurs in the form of another mineral.

Hardness:

5.5 - Knife Blade

Luster:

Vitreous - Dull

Streak:

white

Optical Properties of Buddingtonite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= -0.194 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= -0.159 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.2225,KPDmeas= 0.2292,KC= 0.1919
Ncalc = 1.45 - 1.46

Optical Data:

Biaxial (+), a=1.53, b=1.531, g=1.534, bire=0.0040

Calculated Properties of Buddingtonite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=2.42 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Buddingtonite =2.39 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.06
Boson Index = 0.94

Photoelectric:

PE_{Buddingtonite}= 1.52 barns/electron
U=PE_{Buddingtonite} x rElectron Density= 3.70 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

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

Buddingtonite Classification

Dana Class:

76.01.02.01 (76)Tectosilicate Al-Si Framework

(76.01)with Al-Si frameworks

(76.01.02)Dana Group

76.01.02.01 Buddingtonite (NH4)AlSi3O8•0.5(H2O) P 2₁ or P 2₁/m Mono

Strunz Class:

09.FA.30 09 - SILICATES (Germanates)

09.F - Tektosilicates without Zeolitic H2O

09.FA -Tektosilicates without additional non-tetrahedral anions, (Al,B):Si = 1:1

09.FA.30 Buddingtonite (NH4)AlSi3O8•0.5(H2O) P 2₁ or P 2₁/m Mono

09.FA.30 Celsian BaAl2Si2O8 I21/c 2/m

09.FA.30 Anorthoclase (Na,K)AlSi3O8 C1 1

09.FA.30 Hyalophane (K,Ba)Al(Si,Al)3O8 C 2/m 2/m

09.FA.30 Orthoclase KAlSi3O8 C 2/m 2/m

09.FA.30 Microcline KAlSi3O8 C1 1

09.FA.30 Rubicline! (Rb,K)AlSi3O8 P1 1

09.FA.30 Sanidine (K,Na)(Si,Al)4O8 C 2/m 2/m

Other Buddingtonite Information

References:

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

See Also:

Links to other databases for Buddingtonite :
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 Buddingtonite Specimen Label here :

Buddingtonite

(NH4)AlSi3O8•0.5(H2O)
Dana No: 76.01.02.01 Strunz No: 09.FA.30
Locality:

Notes:

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