Clairite Mineral Data

General Clairite Information

Chemical Formula:

(NH4)2Fe+++3(SO4)4(OH)3•3(H2O)

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 692.94 gm

Iron 24.18 % Fe 34.57 % Fe₂O₃

Hydrogen 1.16 % H - % Calc as (NH₄)₂O

Hydrogen 1.31 % H 11.70 % H₂O

Sulfur 18.51 % S 46.22 % SO₃

Nitrogen 4.04 % N 7.52 % (NH₄)₂O

Oxygen 50.80 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

(NH₄)₂Fe³⁺₃(SO₄)₄(OH)₃•3(H₂O)

Environment:

Formed from the reaction of the oxidation products of pyrite with ammonia produced by the decay of organic matter.

IMA Status:

Approved IMA 1983

Locality:

Lone Creek Fall cave, near Sbri, eastern Transvaal, South Africa. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named for Claire Martini (1936-), South African, wife of the describer of the species, Jacques Edouard Martini.

Clairite Image

Images:

Clairite Rostite

Comments: Brownish crystals of clairite on white massive rostite.
Location: Anna Mine, Alsdorf, Aachen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Scale: Picture size 5 mm.
© Thomas Witzke / Abraxas-Verlag

Clairite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =1.0238:1:5.7497

Cell Dimensions:

a = 9.368, b = 9.15, c = 52.61, Z = 4; alpha = 88.15°, beta = 90°, gamma = 118.36° V = 3,966.27 Den(Calc)= 1.16

Crystal System:

Triclinic Space Group: Unk

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 8.78(1), 17.5(1), 3.27(0.25),

Physical Properties of Clairite

Cleavage:

{001} Perfect

Color:

Yellow.

Density:

2.31

Diaphaneity:

Transparent

Hardness:

2 - Gypsum

Optical Properties of Clairite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= -0.129 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= -1.248 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.5181,KPDmeas= 0.2602,KC= 0.2305
Ncalc = 1.27 - 1.53

Optical Data:

Biaxial (?), a=1.595, g=1.607, bire=0.0120

Pleochroism (x):

pale yellow.

Pleochroism (z):

dark yellow.

Calculated Properties of Clairite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=2.33 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Clairite =2.31 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.04
Boson Index = 0.96

Photoelectric:

PE_Clairite= 8.16 barns/electron
U=PE_Clairite x rElectron Density= 18.99 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

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

Clairite Classification

Dana Class:

31.10.08.01 (31)Hydrated Sulfates Containing Hydroxyl or Halogen

(31.10)miscellaneous

(31.10.08)Dana Group

31.10.08.01 Clairite (NH4)2Fe3(SO4)4(OH)3•3(H2O) Unk Tri

Strunz Class:

07.DF.55 07 - SULFATES (SELENATES, TELLURATES)

07.D - Sulfates (selenates, etc.) with additional anions, with H2O

07.DF -With large and medium-sized cations

07.DF.55 Clairite (NH4)2Fe3(SO4)4(OH)3•3(H2O) Unk Tri

Other Clairite Information

References:

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

See Also:

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

Clairite

(NH4)2Fe+++3(SO4)4(OH)3•3(H2O)
Dana No: 31.10.08.01 Strunz No: 07.DF.55
Locality:

Notes:

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