Gearksutite Mineral Data

General Gearksutite Information

Chemical Formula:

CaAl(OH,F)5•(H2O)

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 178.08 gm

Calcium 22.51 % Ca 31.49 % CaO

Aluminum 15.15 % Al 28.63 % Al₂O₃

Hydrogen 1.70 % H 15.17 % H₂O

Oxygen 17.97 % O

Fluorine 42.67 % F 42.67 % F

- % F -17.97 % -O=F₂

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

CaAl(OH)F₄•(H₂O)

Environment:

Alteration product of cryolite.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1868

Locality:

Greenland and Ural Mountains, Russia. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named from the Greek "Ge", for earth because it is usually earthy and arksutite, from the locality near Arksut fjord.

Name Pronunciation:

Gearksutite + Pronunciation

Synonym:

Boldyrevite - impure ralstonite or gearksutite

ICSD 89800

Paragearksutite

Gearksutite Image

Images:

Gearksutite

Comments: White gearksutite crust on quartz.
Location: Saint Peter's Dome, El Paso County, Colorado, USA. Scale: See Photo.
© Jeff Weissman / Photographic Guide to Mineral Species

Gearksutite Crystallography

Crystal System:

Monoclinic

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 4.55(1), 2.28(0.8), 3.15(0.8),

Physical Properties of Gearksutite

Cleavage:

None

Color:

White.

Density:

2.75

Diaphaneity:

Transparent to subtranslucent

Fracture:

Conchoidal - Uneven - Uneven fracture producing small, conchoidal fragments.

Habit:

Acicular - Occurs as needle-like crystals.

Habit:

Earthy - Dull, clay-like texture with no visible crystalline affinities, (e.g. howlite).

Hardness:

2 - Gypsum

Luminescence:

Non-fluorescent.

Luster:

Vitreous - Dull

Magnetism:

Nonmagnetic

Streak:

white

Optical Properties of Gearksutite

Optical Data:

Biaxial (-), a=1.448, b=1.454, g=1.456, bire=0.0080

Calculated Properties of Gearksutite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=2.72 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Gearksutite =2.75 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.0003926323
Boson Index = 0.9996073677

Photoelectric:

PE_Gearksutite= 3.48 barns/electron
U=PE_Gearksutite x rElectron Density= 9.46 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

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

Gearksutite Classification

Dana Class:

11.06.08.01 (11)Halide Complexes; Alumino-fluorides

(11.06)with miscellaneous formulae

(11.06.08)Dana Group

11.06.08.01 Gearksutite CaAl(OH,F)5•(H2O) Mono

Strunz Class:

03.CC.05 03 - HALIDES

03.C - Complex Halides

03.CC -Soro-aluminofluorides

03.CC.05 Gearksutite CaAl(OH,F)5•(H2O) Mono

Other Gearksutite Information

References:

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

See Also:

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

Gearksutite

CaAl(OH,F)5•(H2O)
Dana No: 11.06.08.01 Strunz No: 03.CC.05
Locality:

Notes:

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