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Dawsonite Mineral Data

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General Dawsonite Information

Help on Chemical Formula: Chemical Formula: NaAl(CO3)(OH)2
Help on Composition: Composition: Molecular Weight = 144.00 gm
   Sodium    15.97 %  Na   21.52 % Na2O
   Aluminum  18.74 %  Al   35.40 % Al2O3
   Hydrogen   1.40 %  H    12.51 % H2O
   Carbon     8.34 %  C    30.56 % CO2
   Oxygen    55.56 %  O
            ______        ______ 
            100.00 %      100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE
Help on Empirical Formula: Empirical Formula: NaAl(CO3)(OH)2
Help on IMA Status: IMA Status: Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1874
Help on Locality: Locality: Feldspathic dike near McGill university, Montreal, Canada. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.
Help on Name Origin: Name Origin: Named after the Canadian geologist, J. W. Dawson (1820-1899).
Help on Name Pronunciation: Name Pronunciation: Dawsonite + Pronunciation Say DAWSONITE
Help on Synonym: Synonym: ICSD 100140
  PDF 42-1346
 

Dawsonite Image

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  Dawsonite

Comments: White, radial crystalline aggregates of dawsonite crystals.
Location: Mont St. Hilaire, Quebec, Canada. Scale: Not Given.
© Lou Perloff / Photo Atlas of Minerals

Dawsonite Crystallography
Help on Axial Ratios: Axial Ratios: a:b:c =0.6496:1:0.5381
Help on Cell Dimensions: Cell Dimensions: a = 6.73, b = 10.36, c = 5.575, Z = 4; V = 388.70 Den(Calc)= 2.46
Help on Crystal System: Crystal System: Orthorhombic - Dipyramidal H-M Symbol (2/m 2/m 2/m) Space Group: Imam
Help on X Ray Diffraction: X Ray Diffraction: By Intensity(I/Io): 5.7(1), 3.385(0.16), 1.69(0.14),
Help on Forms: Forms:

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Help on Above

Forms: ( 0 1 0) ( 0 1 1) ( 1 1 0) ( 1 0 0) ( 0 0 1)

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Physical Properties of Dawsonite

Help on Cleavage: Cleavage: {110} Perfect
Help on Color: Color: Colorless, White.
Help on Density: Density: 2.4 - 2.44, Average = 2.42
Help on Diaphaneity: Diaphaneity: Transparent
Help on Fracture: Fracture: Uneven - Flat surfaces (not cleavage) fractured in an uneven pattern.
Help on Habit: Habit: Acicular - Occurs as needle-like crystals.
Help on Habit: Habit: Encrustations - Forms crust-like aggregates on matrix.
Help on Habit: Habit: Radial - Crystals radiate from a center without producing stellar forms (e.g. stibnite)
Help on Hardness: Hardness: 3 - Calcite
Help on Luminescence: Luminescence: Non-fluorescent, Short UV=dull white.
Help on Luster: Luster: Vitreous - Silky
Help on Magnetism: Magnetism: Nonmagnetic
Help on Streak: Streak: white
 

Optical Properties of Dawsonite

Help on Gladstone-Dale: Gladstone-Dale: CI meas= 0.001 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= 0.017 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.2173,KPDmeas= 0.2209,KC= 0.2212
Ncalc = 1.53 - 1.54
Help on Optical Data: Optical Data: Biaxial (-), a=1.466, b=1.542, g=1.596, bire=0.1300, 2V(Calc)=76, 2V(Meas)=77. Dispersion relatively weak.
Help on Pleochroism (x): Pleochroism (x): colorless.
Help on Pleochroism (y): Pleochroism (y): colorless.
Help on Pleochroism (z): Pleochroism (z): colorless.
 

Calculated Properties of Dawsonite

Help on Electron Density: Electron Density: Bulk Density (Electron Density)=2.42 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Dawsonite =2.42 gm/cc.
Help on Fermion Index: Fermion Index: Fermion Index = 0.0011863031
Boson Index = 0.9988136969
Help on Photoelectric: Photoelectric: PEDawsonite = 0.94 barns/electron
U=PEDawsonite x rElectron Density= 2.27 barns/cc.
Help on Radioactivity: Radioactivity: GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Dawsonite is Not Radioactive
 

Dawsonite Classification
Help on Dana Class: Dana Class: 16a.03.08.01 (16a)Carbonates - Hydroxyl or Halogen
  (16a.03)where (A B)2 (XO3) Zq
  (16a.03.08)Dana Group
 
16a.03.08.01 Dawsonite NaAl(CO3)(OH)2 Imam 2/m 2/m 2/m
Help on Strunz Class: Strunz Class: 05.BB.10 05 - CARBONATES (NITRATES)
  05.B - Carbonates with additional anions, without H2O
  05.BB -With alkalies, etc.
 
05.BB.10 Dawsonite NaAl(CO3)(OH)2 Imam 2/m 2/m 2/m
 

Other Dawsonite Information
Help on References: References: NAME( Duda&Rejl90) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(Ford32)
Help on See Also: See Also: Links to other databases for Dawsonite :
1 - Alkali-Nuts(English)
2 - Alkali-Nuts(Francais)
3 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
4 - Athena
5 - EUROmin Project
6 - Ecole des Mines de Paris
7 - GeoScienceWorld
8 - Google Images
9 - Google Scholar
10 - Handbook of Mineralogy (MinSocAm)
11 - Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA)
12 - MinDAT
13 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
14 - Online Mineral Museum
15 - QUT Mineral Atlas
16 - Ruff.Info
17 - WWW-MINCRYST

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Dawsonite

NaAl(CO3)(OH)2
Dana No: 16a.03.08.01 Strunz No: 05.BB.10
Locality:

 

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