Huntite Mineral Data

General Huntite Information

Chemical Formula:

CaMg3(CO3)4

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 353.03 gm

Calcium 11.35 % Ca 15.88 % CaO

Magnesium 20.65 % Mg 34.25 % MgO

Carbon 13.61 % C 49.87 % CO₂

Oxygen 54.38 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

CaMg₃(CO₃)₄

Environment:

Vugs and coating fractures in rock; as flowstone and incrustations in caves; typically precipitated by evaporative concentration of meteoric solutions weathering magnesite- or dolom ite-bearing rocks.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1955

Locality:

Ala-Mar deposit, Currant Creek district, and the Gabbs mine, Gabbs district, Nye Co., Nevada, USA. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named for Walter Frederick Hunt (1882-1975), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.

Name Pronunciation:

Huntite

Synonym:

ICSD 201729

PDF 14-409

Huntite Image

Images:

Huntite

Comments: pure white chalky massive huntite.
Location: Near Austin, Lander County, Nevada, USA. Scale: See Photo.
© Jeff Weissman / Photographic Guide to Mineral Species

Huntite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:c = 1:0.82305

Cell Dimensions:

a = 9.5027, c = 7.8212, Z = 3; V = 611.64 Den(Calc)= 2.88

Crystal System:

Trigonal - Trapezohedral H-M Symbol (3 2) Space Group: R 32

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 2.833(1), 1.972(0.3), 2.888(0.2),

Physical Properties of Huntite

Cleavage:

None

Color:

White, Lemon white.

Density:

2.696

Fracture:

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

Hardness:

1-2 - Between Talc and Gypsum

Luminescence:

Non-fluorescent.

Luster:

Earthy (Dull)

Streak:

white

Optical Properties of Huntite

Optical Data:

NCalc= 1.6 - from Gladstone-Dale relationship (KC = 0.2071) where Ncalc=Dcalc*KC+1
NCalc= 1.56 - from Gladstone-Dale relationship (KC = 0.2071) where Ncalc=Dmeas*KC+1

Calculated Properties of Huntite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=2.87 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Huntite =2.88 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.02
Boson Index = 0.98

Photoelectric:

PE_Huntite= 2.03 barns/electron
U=PE_Huntite x rElectron Density= 5.83 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

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

Huntite Classification

Dana Class:

14.04.03.01 (14)Anhydrous Carbonates

(14.04)with Compound Formula A+2 B++2 (CO3)4

(14.04.03)Dana Group

14.04.03.01 Huntite CaMg3(CO3)4 R 32 3 2

Strunz Class:

05.AB.25 05 - CARBONATES (NITRATES)

05.A - Carbonates without additional anions, without H2O

05.AB -Alkali-earth (and other M2+) carbonates

05.AB.25 Huntite CaMg3(CO3)4 R 32 3 2

Other Huntite Information

References:

NAME( AntBidBlaNic3) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Huntite :
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
15 - WWW-MINCRYST

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Print or Cut-and-Paste your Huntite Specimen Label here :

Huntite

CaMg3(CO3)4
Dana No: 14.04.03.01 Strunz No: 05.AB.25
Locality:

Notes:

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