Levinsonite-(Y) Mineral Data

General Levinsonite-(Y) Information

Chemical Formula:

(Y,Nd,La)Al(SO4)2(C2O4)•12(H2O)

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 623.48 gm

Lanthanum 2.23 % La 2.61 % La₂O₃

Samarium 2.41 % Sm 2.80 % Sm₂O₃

Gadolinium 2.52 % Gd 2.91 % Gd₂O₃

Yttrium 4.28 % Y 5.43 % Y₂O₃

Aluminum 4.33 % Al 8.18 % Al₂O₃

Hydrogen 3.88 % H 34.67 % H₂O

Carbon 3.85 % C 11.55 % C₂O₃

Sulfur 10.29 % S 25.68 % SO₃

Neodymium 4.63 % Nd 5.40 % Nd₂O₃

Oxygen 61.59 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 99.23 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Y_0.3Nd_0.2La_0.1Sm_0.1Gd_0.1Al(SO₄)₂(C₂O₄)ï¿½12(H₂O)

Environment:

Supergene assemblage formed from weathering of pyritiferous phyllite. The yttrium dominant analog of Coskrenite-(Ce) but structurally different.

IMA Status:

Approved IMA 1996 (Dana # Added)

Locality:

Alum Cave Bluff, Great Smoky Mountains Park, Tennessee, USA. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named for Al A. Levinson of the University of Calgary, who is the originator of the nomenclature system used by REE minerals.

Synonym:

IMA1996-057

Levinsonite-(Y) Image

Images:

Levinsonite-(Y)

Comments: Colorless thick tabular crystal of levinsonite-(Y).
Location: Alum Cave Bluff, Great Smoky Mts, Tennessee, USA. Scale: Picture size 1 mm.
© Thomas Witzke / Abraxas-Verlag

Levinsonite-(Y) Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =1.1142:1:1.1928

Cell Dimensions:

a = 10.289, b = 9.234, c = 11.015, Z = 2; beta = 108.5° V = 992.44 Den(Calc)= 2.09

Crystal System:

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

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 9.3(1)(010), 6.28(0.9)(111), 4.89(0.6)(200),4.09(0.5)(121), 5.2(0.4)(111), 2.518(0.3)(402,014,123,22.747(0.3)(131,321,

Physical Properties of Levinsonite-(Y)

Cleavage:

{101} Perfect

Color:

Colorless.

Diaphaneity:

Transparent

Fracture:

Brittle - Irregular - Very brittle fracture producing irregular fragments

Habit:

Prismatic - Crystals Shaped like Slender Prisms (e.g. tourmaline).

Habit:

Water Soluble - Water soluble mineral.

Luster:

Vitreous (Glassy)

Streak:

white

Optical Properties of Levinsonite-(Y)

Gladstone-Dale:

CI calc= -0.166 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.2424,KC= 0.208
Ncalc = 1.43

Optical Data:

Biaxial (+), a=1.48, b=1.49, g=1.55, bire=0.0700, 2V(Calc)=46, 2V(Meas)=7. Dispersion none.

Calculated Properties of Levinsonite-(Y)

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=2.11 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Levinsonite-(Y) =2.09 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.03
Boson Index = 0.97

Photoelectric:

PE_{Levinsonite-(Y)}= 69.47 barns/electron
U=PE_{Levinsonite-(Y)} x r_electron= 146.70 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 12,853.25 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Concentration of Levinsonite-(Y) per GRapi unit = 77.80 (PPM)

Levinsonite-(Y) is Radioactive as defined in 49 CFR 173.403. Greater than 70 Bq / gram.

**Estimated Radioactivity from Levinsonite-(Y)** - weak
Specimen Size Weight/Volume (Sphere) *	Calculated Activity Bequerols (Bq)	Calculated Activity Curies (Ci)	Estimated Activity GR(api)	Estimated Exposure (mRem**)/hr If Held in Hand For One Hour
1000 gm / 9.70 cm	267,126	7.22E-06	12,853.25	4.23
100 gm / 4.50 cm	26,713	7.22E-07	1,285.32	0.42
10 gm / 2.09 cm	2,671	7.22E-08	128.53	0.04
1 gm / 9.70 mm	267	7.22E-09	12.85	0.00
0.1 gm / 4.50 mm	27	7.22E-10	1.29	0.00
0.01 gm / 2.09 mm	3	7.22E-11	0.13	0.00
0.001 gm / 0.97 mm	0	7.22E-12	0.01	0.00

Weight of pure Levinsonite-(Y) in grams (gm) and Calculated Diameter of a Sphere with a Density of 2.09 gm/cc.*
Goverment Estimate of Average Annual Exposure ( 360 mRem) **
Note: 10 microsieverts/hr = 1 mRem/hr **
Max Permissable Adult Dose 50,000 mRem/yr (hands), 15,000 mRem/yr (eyes)
Lethal Dose LD(50) Exposure 400,000 to 500,000 mRem
Estimated Thorium Activity ( 0.59 % Th) From Sum REE Elements (11.79 % REE)

Levinsonite-(Y) Classification

Dana Class:

50.01.09.03 (50)Salts of Organic Acids

(50.01)(Oxalates)

(50.01.09)Zugshunstite Group

50.01.09.01 Zugshunstite-(Ce)! (Ce,Nd,La)Al(SO4)2(C2O4)•8(H2O) C 2/c 2/m

50.01.09.02 Coskrenite-(Ce)! (Ce,Nd,La)2(SO4)2(C2O4)•8(H2O) C 2/c 2/m

50.01.09.03 Levinsonite-(Y)! (Y,Nd,La)Al(SO4)2(C2O4)•12(H2O) P 2/n 2/m

Strunz Class:

10.AB.70 10 - ORGANIC COMPOUNDS

10.A - Salts of Organic Acids

10.AB -Oxalates

10.AB.70 Levinsonite-(Y)! (Y,Nd,La)Al(SO4)2(C2O4)•12(H2O) P 2/n 2/m

Other Levinsonite-(Y) Information

References:

NAME( AmMin, Vol 86, p 1535) PHYS. PROP.(AmMin, Vol 86, p 1535) OPTIC PROP.(AmMin, Vol 86, p 1535)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Levinsonite-(Y) :
1 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
2 - Athena
3 - GeoScienceWorld
4 - Google Images
5 - Google Scholar
6 - Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA)
7 - MinDAT
8 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
9 - Online Mineral Museum
10 - QUT Mineral Atlas
11 - Ruff.Info

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Levinsonite-(Y)

(Y,Nd,La)Al(SO4)2(C2O4)•12(H2O)
Dana No: 50.01.09.03 Strunz No: 10.AB.70
Locality:

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