Mineralogy Database

Mercallite Mineral Data

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General Mercallite Information

Help on Chemical  Formula: Chemical Formula: KHSO4
Help on Composition: Composition: Molecular Weight = 136.17 gm
   Potassium  28.71 %  K    34.59 % K2O
   Hydrogen    0.74 %  H     6.62 % H2O
   Sulfur     23.55 %  S    58.80 % SO3
   Oxygen     47.00 %  O
             ______        ______ 
             100.00 %      100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE
Help on Empirical Formula: Empirical Formula: KH(SO4)
Help on Environment: Environment: Found as stalactites composed of minute tabular crystals in fumaroles.
Help on IMA Status: IMA Status: Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1935
Help on Locality: Locality: Crater of the volcano, Vesuvius, Italy Link to MinDat.org Location Data.
Help on Name Origin: Name Origin: Named for Giuseppe Mercalli (1850-1914), Italian Geologist, director of the Vesuvius Observatory.
Help on Name Pronunciation: Name Pronunciation: Mercallite + Pronunciation Say MERCALLITE
Help on Synonym: Synonym: ICSD 346
  PDF 11-649
 

Mercallite Image

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  Mercallite

Comments: Pale blue to white powdery aggregate of mercallite.
Location: Vesuvius, Campania, Italy. Scale: See Photo.
© Jeff Weissman / Photographic Guide to Mineral Species

Mercallite Crystallography

Help on Axial Ratios: Axial Ratios: a:b:c =0.8583:1:2.0364
Help on Cell Dimensions: Cell Dimensions: a = 8.412, b = 9.8, c = 19.957, Z = 16; V = 1,645.21 Den(Calc)= 2.20
Help on Crystal System: Crystal System: Orthorhombic - Dipyramidal H-M Symbol (2/m 2/m 2/m) Space Group: P bca
Help on X Ray Diffraction: X Ray Diffraction: By Intensity(I/Io): 3.84(1), 3.26(0.9), 3.41(0.9),3.52(0.9), 3.87(0.7), 3.03(0.7), 2.37(0.3), 2.74(0.3),
 

Physical Properties of Mercallite

Help on Cleavage: Cleavage: None
Help on Color: Color: Colorless, Sky blue.
Help on Density: Density: 2.33
Help on Diaphaneity: Diaphaneity: Transparent
Help on Habit: Habit: Stalactitic - Shaped like pendant columns as stalactites or stalagmites (e.g. calcite).
Help on Habit: Habit: Tabular - Form dimensions are thin in one direction.
Help on Luster: Luster: Vitreous (Glassy)
Help on Streak: Streak: white
 

Optical Properties of Mercallite

Help on Gladstone-Dale: Gladstone-Dale: CI meas= -0.028 (Excellent) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= -0.088 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.2115,KPDmeas= 0.1997,KC= 0.1944
Ncalc = 1.43 - 1.45
Help on Optical Data: Optical Data: Biaxial (+), a=1.445, b=1.46, g=1.491, bire=0.0460, 2V(Calc)=72, 2V(Meas)=56.
 

Calculated Properties of Mercallite

Help on Electron Density: Electron Density: Bulk Density (Electron Density)=2.33 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Mercallite =2.33 gm/cc.
Help on Fermion Index: Fermion Index: Fermion Index = 0.0020272979
Boson Index = 0.9979727021
Help on Photoelectric: Photoelectric: PEMercallite = 4.28 barns/electron
U=PEMercallite x relectron= 9.97 barns/cc.
Help on Radioactivity: Radioactivity:

GRapi = 413.77 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Concentration of Mercallite per GRapi unit = 0.24 (%)

Estimated Radioactivity from Mercallite - barely detectable

 

Mercallite Classification

Help on  Dana Class: Dana Class: 28.01.01.01 (28)Anhydrous Acid and Sulfates
  (28.01)(Anhydrous, Acid)
  (28.01.01)Dana Group
 
28.01.01.01 Mercallite KHSO4 P bca 2/m 2/m 2/m
Help on  Strunz Class: Strunz Class: 07.AD.10 07 - SULFATES (SELENATES, TELLURATES)
  07.A - Sulfates (selenates, etc.) without Additional Anions, without H2O
  07.AD -With only large cations
 
07.AD.10 Mercallite KHSO4 P bca 2/m 2/m 2/m
 

Other Mercallite Information

Help on References: References: NAME( Dana8) PHYS. PROP.(Dana8) OPTIC PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990)
Help on See Also: See Also: Links to other databases for Mercallite :
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 Mercallite Specimen Label here :

Mercallite

KHSO4
Dana No: 28.01.01.01 Strunz No: 07.AD.10
Locality:

 

Notes:

 

 
   
 


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