Mesolite Mineral Data

General Mesolite Information

Chemical Formula:

Na2Ca2Al6Si9O30•8(H2O)

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 1,164.90 gm

Sodium 3.95 % Na 5.32 % Na₂O

Calcium 6.88 % Ca 9.63 % CaO

Aluminum 13.90 % Al 26.26 % Al₂O₃

Silicon 21.70 % Si 46.42 % SiO₂

Hydrogen 1.38 % H 12.37 % H₂O

Oxygen 52.19 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Na₂Ca₂Al₆Si₉O₃₀•8(H₂O)

Environment:

Occurs in amygdaloidal basalt and similar rocks.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1816

Locality:

Cyclopean Islands northeast of Catania, Sicily. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

From the Greek mesos - "middle."

Name Pronunciation:

Mesolite

Synonym:

Cotton stone

ICSD 75200

PDF 24-1064

Mesolite Image

Images:

Mesolite

Comments: Cotton-ball cluster of acicular white mesolite crystals on celestine.
Location: Cheyenne, Laramie County, Wyoming. Scale: Not Given.
© Lou Perloff / Photo Atlas of Minerals

Mesolite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =8.6564:1:2.8213

Cell Dimensions:

a = 56.7, b = 6.55, c = 18.48, Z = 8; beta = 90° V = 6,863.19 Den(Calc)= 2.25

Crystal System:

Monoclinic - Sphenoidal H-M Symbol (2) Space Group: C 2

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 2.86(1), 5.79(0.7), 4.35(0.5),

Physical Properties of Mesolite

Cleavage:

{101} Perfect, {001} Perfect

Color:

White, Gray, Pale yellow.

Density:

2.2 - 2.4, Average = 2.29

Diaphaneity:

Transparent to translucent

Fracture:

Uneven - Flat surfaces (not cleavage) fractured in an uneven pattern.

Habit:

Acicular - Occurs as needle-like crystals.

Habit:

Capillary - Very slender and long, like a thread or hair (e.g. millerite).

Habit:

Spherical - Spherical, rounded aggregates.

Hardness:

5 - Apatite

Luminescence:

Non-fluorescent.

Luster:

Vitreous - Silky

Streak:

white

Optical Properties of Mesolite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= 0.016 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= -0.006 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.2246,KPDmeas= 0.2197,KC= 0.2233
Ncalc = 1.49 - 1.54

Optical Data:

Biaxial (+), a=1.505, b=1.505, g=1.506, bire=0.0010, 2V(Calc)=0, 2V(Meas)=80. Dispersion strong, r > v.

Calculated Properties of Mesolite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=2.26 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Mesolite =2.25 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.01
Boson Index = 0.99

Photoelectric:

PE_Mesolite= 2.17 barns/electron
U=PE_Mesolite x rElectron Density= 4.91 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

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

Mesolite Classification

Dana Class:

77.01.05.04 (77)Tectosilicate Zeolite group

(77.01)true zeolites

(77.01.05)Natrolite and related species

77.01.05.01 Natrolite Na2[Al2Si3O10]•2(H2O) F dd2 mm2

77.01.05.02 Tetranatrolite? Na2[Al2Si3O10]•2(H2O) I 42d 4 2m

77.01.05.03 Paranatrolite Na2[Al2Si3O10]•3(H2O) Cc m

77.01.05.04 Mesolite Na2Ca2Al6Si9O30•8(H2O) C 2 2

77.01.05.05 Scolecite CaAl2Si3O10•3(H2O) Cc m

77.01.05.06 Edingtonite BaAl2Si3O10•4(H2O) P 2₁2₁2 2 2 2

77.01.05.07 Gonnardite Na2CaAl4Si6O20•7(H2O) I 42d 4 2m

77.01.05.08 Cowlesite CaAl2Si3O10•5-6(H2O) P 222₁, P mmm, Pmm2 Ortho

77.01.05.09 Thomsonite-Ca NaCa2Al5Si5O20•6(H2O) Pncn 2/m 2/m 2/m

77.01.05.10 Thomsonite-Sr! (Sr,Ca)2Na[Al5Si5O20]•7(H2O) Pcnn 2/m 2/m 2/m

77.01.05.11 Nabesite! Na2BeSi4O10•4(H2O) P 2₁2₁2₁ 2 2 2

Strunz Class:

09.GA.05 09 - SILICATES (Germanates)

09.G - Tektosilicates with Zeolitic H2O

09.GA -Zeolites with T5O10 Units ï¿½ The Fibrous Zeolites

09.GA.05 Gonnardite Na2CaAl4Si6O20•7(H2O) I 42d 4 2m

09.GA.05 Mesolite Na2Ca2Al6Si9O30•8(H2O) C 2 2

09.GA.05 Natrolite Na2[Al2Si3O10]•2(H2O) F dd2 mm2

09.GA.05 Paranatrolite Na2[Al2Si3O10]•3(H2O) Cc m

09.GA.05 Scolecite CaAl2Si3O10•3(H2O) Cc m

09.GA.05 Tetranatrolite? Na2[Al2Si3O10]•2(H2O) I 42d 4 2m

Other Mesolite Information

References:

NAME( Duda&Rejl90) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(Ford32)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Mesolite :
1 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
2 - Amethyst Galleries' Mineral Gallery
3 - Athena
4 - EUROmin Project
5 - Ecole des Mines de Paris
6 - GeoScienceWorld
7 - Google Images
8 - Google Scholar
9 - Handbook of Mineralogy (MinSocAm)
10 - Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA)
11 - MinDAT
12 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
13 - Online Mineral Museum
14 - Philatelic Mineralogy
15 - QUT Mineral Atlas
16 - Ruff.Info
17 - WWW-MINCRYST
18 - theimage

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Mesolite

Na2Ca2Al6Si9O30•8(H2O)
Dana No: 77.01.05.04 Strunz No: 09.GA.05
Locality:

Notes:

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