Leucosphenite Mineral Data

General Leucosphenite Information

Chemical Formula:

Na4BaTi2O2[B2Si10O28]

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 1,107.50 gm

Barium 12.40 % Ba 13.84 % BaO

Sodium 8.30 % Na 11.19 % Na₂O

Titanium 8.65 % Ti 14.43 % TiO₂

Silicon 25.36 % Si 54.25 % SiO₂

Boron 1.95 % B 6.29 % B₂O₃

Oxygen 43.34 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Na₄BaTi₂B₂Si₁₀O₃₀

Environment:

Found in the Tertiary-aged Green River Formation, Utah, USA.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1901

Locality:

Narsarsuk, Julianehaab district, Southern Greenland. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named in 1901 by Flink from the Greek for white (=leuco) and wedge (=sphen), in allusion to its color and morphology.

Name Pronunciation:

Leucosphenite + Pronunciation

Synonym:

ICSD 20149

PDF 25-784

Leucosphenite Image

Images:

Leucosphenite

Comments: Glassy crystal of leucosphenite in mudstone.
Location: Uintah Basin, Uintah County, Utah, USA. Scale: See Photo.
© Jeff Weissman / Photographic Guide to Mineral Species

Images:

Leucosphenite

Comments: Glassy crystal of leucosphenite in mudstone.
Location: Carter Oil Co. Poulson No. 1 Well, Uinta Basin, Duchesne Co, Utah, USA. Scale: Overall: 2 x 1.5 x 2 cm.
© Tom Loomis / Dakota Matrix

Leucosphenite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =0.5823:1:0.4278

Cell Dimensions:

a = 9.814, b = 16.851, c = 7.21, Z = 2; beta = 93° V = 1,190.72 Den(Calc)= 3.09

Crystal System:

Monoclinic - Prismatic H-M Symbol (2/m) Space Group: C 2/m

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 4.22(1), 8.45(0.9), 3.37(0.7),

Physical Properties of Leucosphenite

Cleavage:

{010} Perfect, {001} Fair

Color:

Colorless, Lemon yellow, Brown, Pale blue.

Density:

3 - 3.09, Average = 3.04

Diaphaneity:

Transparent to translucent

Fracture:

Brittle - Generally displayed by glasses and most non-metallic minerals.

Habit:

Pseudo Hexagonal - Crystals show a hexagonal outline.

Habit:

Striated - Parallel lines on crystal surface or cleavage face.

Habit:

Wedge shaped - Crystals shaped like a wedge.

Hardness:

6-6.5 - Orthoclase-Pyrite

Luminescence:

Fluorescent, Short UV=yellowish white.

Luster:

Vitreous (Glassy)

Streak:

white

Optical Properties of Leucosphenite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= 0.018 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= 0.032 (Excellent) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.2149,KPDmeas= 0.2181,KC= 0.222
Ncalc = 1.67 - 1.69

Optical Data:

Biaxial (+), a=1.643-1.649, b=1.657-1.664, g=1.681-1.691, bire=0.0380-0.0420, 2V(Calc)=76, 2V(Meas)=77. Dispersion weak, r > v.

Pleochroism (x):

colorless.

Pleochroism (y):

colorless.

Pleochroism (z):

colorless.

Calculated Properties of Leucosphenite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=2.94 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Leucosphenite =3.05 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.04
Boson Index = 0.96

Photoelectric:

PE_{Leucosphenite}= 54.13 barns/electron
U=PE_{Leucosphenite} x rElectron Density= 158.93 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

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

Leucosphenite Classification

Dana Class:

72.05.02.01 (72)Phyllosilicate Two-Dimensional Infinite Sheets with Other Than Six-Membered Rings

(72.05)with corrugated and complex layers

(72.05.02)Leucospenite and related species

72.05.02.01 Leucosphenite Na4BaTi2O2[B2Si10O28] C 2/m 2/m

72.05.02.02 Nordite-(Ce) (Ce,La,Ca)(Sr,Ca)Na2(Na,Mn)(Zn,Mg)Si6O17 Pcca 2/m 2/m 2/m

72.05.02.03 Nordite-(La) (Na,Mn)3(Sr,Ca)(La,Ce)(Zn,Mg)Si6O17 Pcca 2/m 2/m 2/m

72.05.02.04 Semenovite (Na,Ca)9(Ce,La)2(Fe,Mn)(Si,Be)20(O,OH,F)48 Pmmn 2/m 2/m 2/m

72.05.02.05 Ferronordite-(Ce)! Na3SrCeFeSi6O17 Pcca 2/m 2/m 2/m

72.05.02.06 Manganonordite-(Ce)! Na3SrCeMnSi6O17 Pcca 2/m 2/m 2/m

72.05.02.07 Ferronordite-(La)! Na3Sr(La,Ce)FeSi6O17 Pcca 2/m 2/m 2/m

72.05.02.08 Bussyite-(Ce)! (Ce,REE)3(Na,H2O)6MnSi9Be5(O,OH)30F4 C 2/c 2/m

Strunz Class:

09.DP.15 09 - SILICATES (Germanates)

09.D - Inosilicates* Structural terminology according to Liebau (1985)

09.DP -Transitional ino-phyllosilicate structures

09.DP.15 Leucosphenite Na4BaTi2O2[B2Si10O28] C 2/m 2/m

Other Leucosphenite Information

References:

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

See Also:

Links to other databases for Leucosphenite :
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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Leucosphenite

Na4BaTi2O2[B2Si10O28]
Dana No: 72.05.02.01 Strunz No: 09.DP.15
Locality:

Notes:

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