Epistilbite Mineral Data
General Epistilbite Information
Chemical Formula:
CaAl2Si6O16•5(H2O)
Composition:
Molecular Weight = 608.62 gm
Calcium 6.59 % Ca 9.21 % CaO
Aluminum 8.87 % Al 16.75 % Al2 O3
Silicon 27.69 % Si 59.23 % SiO2
Hydrogen 1.66 % H 14.80 % H2 O
Oxygen 55.20 % O
______ ______
100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE
Empirical Formula:
CaAl2 Si6 O16 •5(H2 O)
Environment:
Alteration product in basalts.
IMA Status:
Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1826
Locality:
Berufjord, Iceland. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.
Name Origin:
From the Greek epi - "near" and the mineral Stilbite.
Name Pronunciation:
Epistilbite + Pronunciation
Synonym:
ICSD 82770
PDF 39-1381
Epistilbite Image
Images:
Epistilbite Crystallography
Axial Ratios:
a:b:c =0.512:1:0.5755
Cell Dimensions:
a = 9.083, b = 17.738, c = 10.209, Z = 4; alpha = 89.95°, beta = 124.58°, gamma = 90° V = 1,354.23 Den(Calc)= 2.98
Crystal System:
Triclinic - Pedial H-M Symbol (1) Space Group: C1
X Ray Diffraction:
By Intensity(I/Io ): 3.45(1), 3.21(0.9), 8.89(0.9),
Physical Properties of Epistilbite
Cleavage:
{010} Perfect
Color:
White, Yellowish white, Reddish white, Brownish white.
Density:
2.2 - 2.3, Average = 2.25
Diaphaneity:
Transparent to translucent
Fracture:
Uneven - Flat surfaces (not cleavage) fractured in an uneven pattern.
Habit:
Prismatic - Crystals Shaped like Slender Prisms (e.g. tourmaline).
Habit:
Spherical - Spherical, rounded aggregates.
Habit:
Twinning Common - Crystals are usually twinned.
Hardness:
4-5 - Fluorite-Apatite
Luminescence:
Non-fluorescent.
Luster:
Vitreous (Glassy)
Streak:
white
Optical Properties of Epistilbite
Gladstone-Dale:
CI meas = 0.008 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas /KC ) CI calc = 0.251 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc /KC )
KPDcalc = 0.1705,KPDmeas = 0.2258,KC = 0.2276 Ncalc = 1.5 - 1.68
Optical Data:
Biaxial (-), a=1.502, b=1.51, g=1.512, bire=0.0100, 2V(Calc)=52, 2V(Meas)=44. Dispersion relatively strong.
Pleochroism (x):
colorless.
Pleochroism (y):
colorless.
Pleochroism (z):
colorless.
Calculated Properties of Epistilbite
Electron Density:
Bulk Density (Electron Density)=2.28 gm/cc note: Specific Gravity of Epistilbite =2.25 gm/cc.
Fermion Index:
Fermion Index = 0.01 Boson Index = 0.99
Photoelectric:
PEEpistilbite = 2.15 barns/electronU=PEEpistilbite x r Electron Density= 4.91 barns/cc.
Radioactivity:
GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units) Epistilbite is Not Radioactive
Epistilbite Classification
Dana Class:
77.01.06.02 (77) Tectosilicate Zeolite group
(77.01) true zeolites
(77.01.06) Mordenite and related species
77.01.06.01 Mordenite (Ca,Na2,K2)Al2Si10O24•7(H2O) C mc21 mm2
77.01.06.02 Epistilbite CaAl2Si6O16•5(H2O) C1 1
77.01.06.03 Maricopaite Pb7Ca2(Si,Al)48O100•32(H2O) Cm2m 2/m 2/m 2/m
77.01.06.04 Dachiardite-Ca (Ca,Na2,K2)5Al10Si38O96•25(H2O) C 2/m 2/m
77.01.06.05 Dachiardite-Na (Na2,Ca,K2)4Al4Si20O48•13(H2O) C 2/m 2/m
77.01.06.06 Ferrierite-Mg (Mg,Na,K)2Mg(Si,Al)18O36•9(H2O) Pnnm 2/m 2/m 2/m
77.01.06.06a Ferrierite-K ! (K,Na)2Mg(Si,Al)18O36•9(H2O) Pnnm 2/m 2/m 2/m
77.01.06.06b Ferrierite-Na ! (Na,K)2Mg(Si,Al)18O36•9(H2O) P 21 /n 2/m
77.01.06.07 Boggsite NaCa2(Al5Si19O48)•17(H2O) I mma 2/m 2/m 2/m
77.01.06.08 Gottardiite ! Na3Mg3Ca5Al19Si117O272•93(H2O) C mca 2/m 2/m 2/m
77.01.06.09 Terranovaite ! (Na,Ca)8(Si68Al12)O160•29(H2O) C mcm 2/m 2/m 2/m
77.01.06.10 Mutinaite ! Na3Ca4Si85Al11O192•60(H2O) P nma 2/m 2/m 2/m
77.01.06.12 Direnzoite ! NaK6MgCa2(Al13Si47O120)•36H2O Pmmn 2/m 2/m 2/m
Strunz Class:
09.GD.45 09 - SILICATES (Germanates)
09.G - Tektosilicates with Zeolitic H2O
09.GD -Chains of 6-membered rings � tabular zeolites
09.GD.45 Epistilbite CaAl2Si6O16•5(H2O) C1 1
Other Epistilbite Information
References:
NAME( Duda&Rejl90) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(Ford32)
See Also:
Links to other databases for Epistilbite :
1 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
2 - Amethyst Galleries' Mineral Gallery
3 - Athena
4 - EUROmin Project
5 - Ecole des Mines de Paris
6 - GeoScienceWorld
7 - Google Images
8 - Google Scholar
9 - Handbook of Mineralogy (MinSocAm)
10 - Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA)
11 - MinDAT
12 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
13 - Online Mineral Museum
14 - QUT Mineral Atlas
15 - Ruff.Info
16 - WWW-MINCRYST
17 - Zeolite Database by Bruno Herreros
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Epistilbite
CaAl2Si6O16•5(H2O)
Dana No: 77.01.06.02 Strunz No: 09.GD.45
Locality:
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